In the beginning it was available only to the people of Riverdale. But now — two years later — the Yukon Blue Bin Recycling Society has grown large enough to offer recycling pickup to 

every major residential area in Whitehorse. Their service is simple; every two weeks a Blue Bin representative comes by to pick up recycling from curbsides. This includes paper, plastics, glass, and metals. None of it has to be sorted, and there is no maximum amount per household.

It’s $20 per month, which also includes the blue recycling bin and a continuous supply of biodegradable plastic bags. Jonathan Gorton began utilizing the service soon after it was first offered in Riverdale, and has since enjoyed the extra space in his house, among other things. “I used to have mountains of recycling,” he says. “It would pile up in my house, garage, everywhere. I had this giant pile in the back of my truck and ravens picked it apart. It was a disaster.“I’ve always tried to recycle when possible. Sometimes I just can’t be bothered taking it down to the depot and sorting through it all myself.”Whether it’s due to people’s limited storage space, transportation issues, or simply a lack of motivation to sort through piles of waste, it should be no surprise that many could-be recyclables end up in the other can. “All the little bits would certainly end up somewhere else, probably with the garbage,” says Gorton. “I like to recycle. It makes me feel good, and the Blue Bin guys make it terribly convenient.” Taylor Tiefenbach acts as the informal general manager for Blue Bin Recycling. He says that while they are very happy to have expanded into new areas of town, they have their sights set on further horizons.“We aren’t quite there yet,” says Tiefenbach. “We still aren’t in the semi-rural areas, such as Golden Horn or Wolf Creek, and we don’t yet offer the service to businesses or multi-residential units like condos. But that’s our next step, and hopefully soon people in those situations can start recycling more as well.”For Tiefenbach, expanding Blue Bin is more than just ambition, it’s about environmental stewardship.“We don’t want to see our landfills full of stuff that shouldn’t be in there. These materials can still be used, and we’re trying to make sure that happens.”For further information, or to sign up, visit  www.yukonbluebins.com

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