The days of simply dropping off recyclables at a processor without thinking of the cost might be numbered.

Joy Snyder, the Raven Recycling Society’s executive director, said this morning she envisions Raven charging tipping fees in the future for non-refundable recyclables – cardboard, plastic and the like.

“That’s sort of the normal model,” she said in an interview.

Recycling processors in British Columbia and Alberta charge tipping fees to haulers bringing in their recyclable waste, Snyder noted.

Raven does charge minor fees to haulers of cardboard waste as well as the Whitehorse Blue Bin Recycling, a private company that offers curbside recycling pickup as well as some commercial pickup.

However, Raven does not charge fees to most who are dropping off a mix of residential recycling materials.

Rather, it offers a 24-hour drop-off for those bringing their household recycling.

The only other recycling processor in the city is P&M Recycling.

It allows customers to drop off their recycling materials during its regular business hours.

There is currently no charge at either location to drop off non-refundables.

The city and territory, however, offer processors funding in the form of diversion credits based on the amount of recycling shipped out. The funding recognizes that waste is being kept out of the landfill.

Increased funding and changes including how often the diversion credits were handed out were made in 2014.

The changes were implemented after Raven closed its non-refundable drop-off service for several months in the fall of 2014 and into 2015.

The organization argued the diversion credits were not covering the cost of shipping the material Outside.

P&M continued to accept non-refundables during Raven’s closure.

The diversion credit system was changed as part of the short-term efforts to deal with recycling.

Work is also underway on a more long-term system for managing recycling in the territory.

Work at the territorial level has focused on changes to the refund system for beverage containers.

Meanwhile, the city is pursuing a blue bin program that would mean additional mandatory fees for those already on the city’s waste collection program.

Most recently, council voted to move ahead with a request for proposals for the program. Once the period for submitting proposals has passed, council will vote on whether to move forward with it.

As work continues on a long-term system for recycling, Snyder said, she sees tipping fees for recycling dropped as part of that.

She’s heard a number of comments from the public arguing that it currently doesn’t cost anything to recycle non-refundables.

Though residents can drop off their recycling at Raven, Snyder emphasized there is a cost attached to shipping it out.

Currently, diversion credits paid by governments contribute to the cost of shipping.

Ideally, Snyder said, she’d like to see diversion credits eventually ended in favour of extended producer responsibility which sees the cost of processing waste associated with products paid for by producers of products.

“That’s what happens in other jurisdictions,” she said, citing European markets that have seen success with such programs.

In the meantime, she argued, tipping fees at recycling centres like Raven could help address the costs of managing the waste.

“This is sort of my strategic plan I’m always working towards,” Snyder said.

Exactly if or when such a system might be implemented isn’t known. Snyder said it depends on a number of factors.

Those include what direction the city and territory take on recycling, and whether Raven’s competitor moves to a tipping fee system as well.

As Snyder noted, if a competitor doesn’t move in that direction, there’s a question of whether Raven could.

As for what the tipping fees might be, Snyder said that’s also unknown at this point.

“It would be different for each source,” she said.

Pat McInroy, the owner of P&M Recycling, could not be reached for comment by press time today.

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