Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 07/05) - The long-awaited beverage container recycling program is ready to roll in the NWT.

But residents patiently awaiting the Nov. 1 start up date with a shed full of bottles and cans are discouraged from bringing them in if a deposit was not paid on them.

Emery Paquin, director of environmental protection with the department of Environment and Natural Resources, told City Hall this week they are currently looking at ways to prevent hoarding.

"We want to make sure that containers that have a surcharge paid on them are just returned to the system," Paquin said.

"We are encouraging people to continue to use the recycling opportunities that Yellowknife and other municipalities offer up until the November start date."

Paquin said depots in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Rae-Edzo, Fort Smith, Inuvik, Nahanni Butte and Fort Resolution are ready to open and expansion to other communities is expected eventually.

A refundable deposit will be issued on all applicable beverage containers despite the fact not all communities will have a depot centre, Paquin said.

In Yellowknife, the depot and processing centre owned by Adam Pich is on Old Airport Road beside Northwest Transport.

Adam Pich said his new centre will be open Nov. 1, "come hell or high water," despite the anticipated late arrival of several pieces of processing equipment.

The depot will be open six days per week.

Hours and the number of staff will depend on business volume, Pich said.

Pich said start-up costs could total $500,000.

At the Yellowknife direct charge Co-op, general manager Ben Walker said for every item now charged a deposit, the computer code system must be altered to reflect both the bottle deposit, which is not GST-taxable and the handling fee portion which is taxable.

"We have to go into every individual item," Walker said.

While the Co-op is 100 per cent behind recycling programs, he said many retailers feel the amount charged is excessive.

"It really is going to affect the people in communities that can't recycle," he said.

"And the price here in the NWT is doubled for recycling," Walker said.

Because the cost of many beverages, such as soda pop, is also higher in the North, Walker said customers may be in for a surprise at the till.

"I don't think anybody really realizes yet what the cost is going to be."

Consumers will pay between 15 and 35 cents deposit depending on the type of container and will receive between 10 and 25 cents as a refundable deposit.