Public Access to the Solid Waste Facility (SWF) |
| The Solid Waste Facility (SWF) is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 11:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Please note the SWF is closed to the public on Monday. |
Contractor Access to the Solid Waste Facility (SWF) |
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Contractors (i.e. registered account holders) can continue to access the SWF 7 days a week, during regular business hours. Please note: Saturday and Sunday there will be no access to the Construction and Demolition landfill (i.e. up the hill) and all waste must be disposed of in the designated area within the PDO. |
Curbside Cart Collection |
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The City has returned to the regular biweekly cart collection schedule. Should you have a problem with your garbage collection, please call (867) 669.3406 or email swfinfo@yellowknife.ca. Please verify your collection schedule at the bottom of this page. You can create and print off a schedule personalized for your address using the "Get a calendar" button on the My Schedule feature below. You are also able to sign up to receive reminders prior to your collection day using the "Get a reminder!" button. Please note: Under the Solid Waste Management By-law, garbage can be placed at the curb after 6:00 p.m. the night before collection, or before 7:00 a.m. the morning of collection to ensure that all garbage is picked up. |
Recycling Depots |
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There are six blue bin recycling depots located across town for the public to use as required. For location information and a list of what to take to the recycling depots, please visit our Blue Bin Stations page. Please note: Recycling depots are only for recyclables placed inside the blue bins. Materials left outside of the bins results in additional cleanup costs for the City and are considered illegal dumping. |
City of Yellowknife Strategic Waste Management Plan |
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Our 2017 disposal rate was 1100 kg per capita. That's a high number when compared to the national average of 701 kg/ capita. High disposal rates result in high costs to taxpayers and the environment. The City recently commissioned a Strategic Waste Management Report that outlines key recommendations that Council can consider in order to address our high disposal rate. |
FAQ
Where are the green organics bins for [residents] in apartments? |
| A top priority for the next two years is increasing the amount of apartments, condos and townhouses that are equipped with organics dumpsters/carts. There are already a few multi-family unit (MFU) buildings that have an organic (green) dumpster located on their property. This is the result of property managers working together with the City and our local service provider (Kavanaugh). The City is here to support interested MFU property owners and will provide how-to guides for residents along with kitchen catchers. Please see below for information on requesting a green bin at your apartment. |
Why are there no organic dumpsters by the Blue Bin stations? |
| The City appreciates residents’ anticipation for city-wide organics recycling. We are working to expand the organics collection to MFUs across the city. The tipping fees for organics is considerably lower than for “regular” garbage and we are looking to MFU property managers and condo boards to take the opportunity to rethink how they provide waste services to their tenants/property owners. |
Has curbside recycling been considered by the City? |
| The 2018 Strategic Waste Management Report recommends focusing our efforts on organics diversion and supporting businesses, apartments and condos with waste reduction and diversion opportunities. Curbside recycling requires extensive sorting of the collected materials. |
What happens to cardboard when it’s recycled? Can cardboard go in the organic carts/dumpster? |
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When cardboard is recycled at the blue bin stations, City staff haul it to the solid waste facility where it is baled and stockpiled. Once there are enough bales to fill a trailer, the load is shipped down to Edmonton to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where it is sorted and introduced to the global market. The goal is to separate the cardboard so that the City has a “resource” that can have multiple use. There are other options for cardboard once it is sorted: in the future, it can potentially be integrated into our organics processing. There are also feasibility studies to explore its use and viability as an energy source. Whatever option we decide in the future, the sorting of cardboard is important and we thank those who work to properly sort their discarded cardboard. Cardboard is technically compostable but must be processed and added in a way that doesn’t affect the end product compost. For this reason, we ask that residents continue to use the blue bins for cardboard recycling. |
How much of the disposal rate tonnage per capita is from industry? |
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As per the 2018 Strategic Waste Management report, Yellowknife’s 2017 disposal rate was 1100 kg per capita. According to Statistics Canada, the national average (for 2014) was 701 kg per capita. These numbers include both industry waste and residential waste. Industry does contribute to a significant part of this. It is estimated that the Construction and Demolition sector (C&D) accounts for 35% (385 kg/capita). In the case of YK, small businesses and multi-family units are grouped together and contribute for 35% of the disposal rate. Targeted campaigns and economic incentives have been recommended in the Plan to support businesses and industries in reducing their waste. |
