SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The city is talking about banning cardboard from the Yellowknife landfill by the end of the year.

N.J. Macpherson School received a recycling award last week at the solid waste public forum for its recycling program and mural made of bottle caps. There to accept the award was Catherine Trice, an educational assistant in charge of the recycling program, and Grade 4 students Danielle Letzing-Taylor, right, and Skyla McNabb. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo City's recycling award recipients Non-profit: Food Rescue Education: N.J. Macpherson School Small business: Gourmet Cup Medium business: Thornton's Wine and Tapas Room, as well as Kingpin Bowling Large business: Canadian Tire

"There is more cardboard in the landfill than there should be," Dennis Kefalas, the city's director of public works, told about 30 Yellowknifers who gathered to talk trash Thursday night at the city's annual solid waste public forum.

Since the implementation of the three-cell salvaging system in December, about 1.5 tonnes of cardboard has been diverted from the landfill per week, Kefalas said.

Paper products add up to 37 per cent of the waste entering the landfill. The goal is to eliminate that, he said.

Cardboard diverted at recycling bins is trucked to a recycling plant in Edmonton, Alta.

If the ban were to come into effect, there would be a six-month grace period where residents would receive a warning if they drop off cardboard at the landfill. After that, there would be a fine, said Kefalas.

City councillor Paul Falvo, who is chair of the Solid Waste Management Committee, said Nova Scotia banned cardboard from its landfills about 15 years ago, so it's time Yellowknife catches up.

He said he expects city administration to bring forward a recommendation by the end of May, with ways to implement the ban by the end of the year.

The public forum, which took place at Northern United Place, although organized by the city, was part of Ecology North's Earth Week 2011.

The discussion highlighted the solid waste projects undertaken by the city and the territorial government, some of which include the three-cell salvaging system at the Yellowknife landfill, the residential garbage bag limit - which will likely be cut down to two bags from three - the centralized composting program, the beverage container program and the single-use retail bag program.

Kefalas said the centralized composting program is something that's working really well in the city and will continue to grow, and eventually expand into a citywide initiative.

"I think that'll be one of the biggest programs you'll see in the next few years," he said.

The pilot project started in September 2010 and currently provides compost pickup once a week to 20 businesses around town. The waste then goes to the compost facility at the landfill, where it is combined with shredded paper and box board collected through recycling.

Shannon Ripley, the composting co-ordinator, said since the program's implementation, 258 tonnes of organic waste - food scraps and yard trimmings - has been diverted from the landfill, along with 72 tonnes of paper and box board.

The first batch of finished compost should be available for residents and businesses to purchase for use in their gardens by September, she said.

"It's something we can produce locally and it's great for our gardens," said Ripley.

Residents interested in composting can also drop off their organic waste at the landfill in the red bin marked "Organic materials only."

Kefalas said citywide composting is in the draft budget, which hasn't yet been approved by council, for 2013.

It wouldn't be available to all residents right away, though. He said it would be phased in across the city.

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