Recycling program has kept 325 million containers out of landfills, says N.W.T. gov't

The Northwest Territories government is celebrating the success of their recycling programs during Waste Reduction Week in Canada, saying they've recycled over 325 million containers since 2005.

Government officials invited media to Yellowknife's Bottle Shop recycling facility Friday, where they announced the numbers and gave a tour of the operation.

Joe Dragon, the territory's deputy minister of environment and natural resources, says that all of the materials collected by the recycling depot are recycled in North America, standing in contrast to other northern centres like Whitehorse.

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"We've looked at the opportunity through these... programs to really divert these from going into landfills," he said. "We're very confident that these are being recycled and being put away from landfills."

During the event, Dragon also highlighted the success of the government's single-use retail bag program, which they say has kept almost 50 million bags out of landfills in the past eight years.

Where does it go?

During the tour, government officials outlined the destinations of the different materials collected at the recycling depot. Plasticsare sent to a company in Calgary, where they are broken down and repurposed into various items, including fleece clothing.

Non-reusable glass like wine bottlesare sent to a company in Airdrie, Alta., where they are turned into fibreglass insulation, and aluminum is sent to a U.S. company where it's recycled into new cans or car parts.

Tetrapacks are recycled in the U.S., and reusable glass like beer bottles are sent to Edmonton, where they can bereused up to 15 times.

With files from Katie Toth