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TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY
What started as a science fair project for Cecile Lyall is now a reality at Netsilik School. Students at the Taloyoak school are now recycling aluminum pop cans, thanks to an initiative from Lyall and the efforts of student council.

Isabelle Takolik, left, a Netsilik School science fair judge, talks to Cecile Lyall about her aluminum pop can recycling project this past March. Her project became reality as the school is now recycling pop cans. - photo courtesy of Gina Pizzo -

The 19-year-old said students will bring the cans to school for collection which will then be sent to Yellowknife by air, free of charge, thanks to First Air. Lyall said she expects the first shipment in early November.

"It's been pretty good. We're off to a slow start but that was expected. It's just the beginning of

the program," she said.

Lyall, born in Yellowknife but raised in Taloyoak, graduated from Netsilik School this past spring. She now works weekends and takes an Inuktitut course. Her science fair project looked at the impact of pop cans in the landfill, as they could last up to 500 years there, she said.

"In Nunavut we drink a lot of pop, so I decided to start a program," she said.

Lyall said she did get a good grade on her science fair project.

Principal Gina Pizzo said Lyall made the deal with the airline as part of the project.

"I think it's a great thing that a (youth) took the initiative to do it," she said. "It just shows if you actually make the effort to carry something all the way through, you can actually make it happen."

Part of her research was looking at shipping the cans out of the community. Lyall said when First Air Staff told her they were interested in shipping the cans, she then decided to go through with the project.

"On my project, I was debating whether it would be better to ship out the cans through air or on the barge," she said. "With the barge, the cans have to sit here for a whole year and with the leftover sugar deposits inside the cans, they would erode a bit so that might lessen their quality for recycling."

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