Iqaluit (May 17/04) - After spending $90,000 in four months for recycling, the City of Iqaluit is having second thoughts about the program.

Council only budgeted $5,000 for the program in 2004, and it's expected to run up a $135,000 deficit this year.

What's recyclable Recyclable material, including, tin, plastics, cardboard, paper and glass, can be put into the blue bags without being sorted. The blue bags can be put beside household garbage bags once a week. The recycling truck collects the blue bags. The bags are then put into sea cans and in the summer are shipped down south on the sealift where the materials are eventually sorted. The blue bags can be purchased at any grocery store in Iqaluit.

"We can't continue to spend money that isn't there," said Ian Fremantle, chief administrative officer for the city. "If we are going to run this program we are going to have to cut something else."

But before the program is put on the chopping block, council will talk with residents for their views.

"Without any feedback from the community I don't think we have any direction," said Coun. Chris Wilson. "I would like to see what people have to say about this decision."

Coun. Simanuk Kilabuk said the recycling has helped add to a cleaner community.

"We are going to have to find the funding for the recycling," he said.

In 2002, the city collected about five tons of recyclable material. This year, the city estimates it will collect 25 tons.

"That's a lot of waste that is staying out of our landfill," Wilson said.

Erin Brubucher, co-ordinator of the Iqaluit Recycling Society, said it's encouraging that the city is willing to work with the society on cost-saving solutions.

"People are recycling," she said. "Now we have to look at ways to make the program more feasible."

Brubucher said the society wants to look at how the city packs the sea crates for shipping recyclables to processing facilities in the south. "If you scrap the program you will have to start again from scratch," she said. "There will be high costs with the start up."