Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 21/05) - Schools will likely have some extra coins for projects when bottle deposit fees go into effect on Nov. 1.

Principal Angela James says K'alemi Dene school in Ndilo already recycles paper, cans, juice boxes and other materials, so once deposit fees are in place, they can take the bottles, cans and juice boxes back for refund.

HOW TO BEAT THE PRICE INCREASE People who now buy 250-ml juice boxes for school lunches could change shopping habits once refundable deposits come into effect. A five-pack of 250 ml juice boxes that now sells for $1.79 will go up by 75 cents to $2.54 when the levy begins. Each box will cost an extra 15 cents, although each can be returned for a 10 cent refund. By comparison, the regular price of a one-litre box of the same juice is $1.59, and will go up 20 cents with the refundable deposit. Ben Walker, general manager of the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op, said he anticipates sales of larger size containers will increase and the smaller individual serving sizes to decrease as a result of the fees. Walker said many parents may seek the option of buying refillable plastic drink containers for their children to bring home each day.

"If we do receive dollars for our recycled cans and juice boxes, etc., we probably will use the money towards our snack and lunch program," said James.

"It will go right back into the kitty and recycled right back to the students and their needs."

Under the government system, containers that hold less than one litre can be returned to the community bottle depot for a 10-cent refund.

The refunds are for all containers, other than milk, including Tetra Paks.

William McDonald school principal Dean MacInnis said the library will benefit from money collected from container refunds.

"We are going to have a library team organizing themselves into using that money for library needs," MacInnis said.

"It's not a big fundraiser, but in small chunks throughout the year, it would help the library people out for sure."

Right now bottles from the school's two juice machines are collected in a box and taken to one of the city's recycling depots.

N.J. MacPherson school principal Michelle Krause said pop and juice cans are collected and brought to the city's recycling bins.

"It might be something that one of our groups in the school could take on as a fundraiser," Krause said.

Range Lake North students will be collecting containers to raise funds for a trip to England by students from Sir John Franklin high school, said teacher and parent Dawn Costello.

Merrill Dean, principal of Weledeh Catholic school, said recycling bins will be set out for students to utilize.

"We'll make the effort to collect and use the money, probably for playground equipment," Dean said.

Randy Caines, vice-principal of Mildred Hall elementary school, said there is a recycling program and after Nov. 1, plans are to continue on with it.

"We will collect it to either use for school initiatives, a charitable donation or just to recycle for the better of the environment. But we do plan to recycle," Caines said.

"If there is one more thing to recycle or another way we can do it, we are definitely for it," he added.

Other schools are still coming up with ways to collect containers.