It was a game of who was going to catch the blame for the recycling woes Thursday afternoon in Whitehorse.

Mayor Laura Cabott called a news conference with some of her senior staff to provide an update on the city’s recycling plans.

It was as direct and to-the-point news conference as seen in recent years in these parts.

She said bluntly the city has been left in a very difficult position by the government’s extended producer responsibility legislation and pressure from the Raven Recycling Society.

In 2023, that organization threatened to shut down its drop-off bins if a municipal program of some sort isn’t introduced. It has advised the Star it has extended its deadline from last Dec. 31 to mid-summer.

All this leaves the city between the proverbial rock and a hard place, Cabott said. It’s desperately in need of some clarity before Whitehorse officials can make a decision.

Facing questions from reporters, Cabott said there’s a distinct possibility recycling products could wind up in the city landfill. That’s a situation no one wants, she added.

Following the notice from Raven Recycling, Cabott said, the city began to look into the issue.

“The city chose to explore a curbside recycling program, and we issued a request for information. Following the review of that information, the city began preparing a budget amendment to be brought forward to council and administration,” the mayor said.

A recommendation from the administration is expected to come forward to council shortly.

Earlier this year, Cabott suggested the cost of curbside recycling would likely be more than $2 million annually. There would be a direct cost to residents, and country residential areas would not be included, she said.

If the city decides to proceed, the program would only last until the Yukon government’s Extended Producer Responsibility program (EPR) comes into effect by early 2026, she explained Thursday.

That could be as few as 18 months of operation. After that, the responsibility for recycling would shift to manufacturers.

Typically, manufacturers under such a program are to offer an equivalent or better service as to what currently exists. Cabott, however, said she wasn’t confident that was definitively written into the Yukon regulations.

She said city officials believe the producers would either take over the service (if the city had one) or pay for its cost – but that’s not laid out in the regulations.

“It is uncertain. It is unknown. Finally, there’s the cost. We’ve heard time and time again that citizens are struggling to pay for basic items,” Cabott said.

Earlier this week, the government offered $2.4 million to pay for a recycling program over two years.

“It is appreciated, it really is, but it’s unclear if EPR would cover the complete cost when the government’s funding stopped. That’s the risk we run,” the mayor said.

The city sent a letter to Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn on Feb. 13. Excerpts follow:

“There are a few questions I am hoping you or your colleague, minister (Nils) Clarke can answer with respect to service levels under EPR and the Stewardship Plan development process,” the letter says.

“Department of Environment staff have indicated that Yukon Government’s expectation is that existing service levels will be expected to be maintained under new EPR programs; however, the regulation itself is less prescriptive.

“Can you provide any assurance or clarity that in the event the city implements a curbside recycling program, a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) will be required to maintain this level of service?” the letter asks.

“Based on the wording of the Regulation, it appears the city is only a stakeholder in this process.

“Finally, could you or minister Clarke please clarify if there is anything in the regulations restricting the Yukon Government from requiring a curbside collection program as part of the Stewardship Plan if one is not already in place?” the letter asks Mostyn.

A reply arrived just before Thursday’s news conference began.

Cabott said the city had not yet been able to “digest” the letter, but “at first glance, the clarity we were looking for to help us make such a big decision is just not there. Without that information, the city cannot make a best decision.

“We have to make a big decision here, and the response letter does not provide the clarity that we need,” Cabott told the media.

“We need to consider every option, and we need the information to do that. We need to make a decision on a gap of 18 months.

“We’re kind of being forced into this,” the mayor added.

“Raven Recycling has its reasons for shutting down, but it puts us (in a bit of a tough position.)”

There is no timeline on when the government funding might come through. Cabott confirmed that more recyclables may end up in the landfill.

“If Raven is not accepting it anymore, and if council decides not to implement a program ... without that, it is very possible recycling will go into the landfill.

“The short answer is that we’re working hard on it. It would be irresponsible to just say we’re taking it on. We could be jumping into a program we have no say on,” the mayor said. “Any decision council makes, we need the information for.”

Cabott said she will likely have to go back to the minister to try to obtain the necessary information.

The Star has obtained a copy of Mostyn’s letter to the city sent Thursday.

“The first stage of implementing EPR is a producer-led stakeholder engagement that will inform producers drafting their stewardship plan. As an important stakeholder, the City of Whitehorse can participate in all planned engagement activities,” Mostyn writes.

“The Government of Yukon’s role is to evaluate the proposed Stewardship Plan, considering the feedback provided by all stakeholders such as local governments, the business waste-service providers.

“I note that under the EPR Regulation, the Government of Yukon can require specific service standards, which could include the continuation of curbside collection in Whitehorse, should the city decide to go this route,” the minister writes.

Mostyn says the government’s financial support is intended to cover up to half of the city’s curbside recycling collection and the material processing costs.

The time-limited funding would support start-up costs as well as curbside pickup until the EPR’s implementation in 2025.

“This $2.4 million two-year investment includes an annual contribution to offset the cost of curbside collection for residents of the City of Whitehorse, along with a contribution toward processing,” the minister writes.

Mostyn adds in the letter, “Establishing a municipal curbside collection system in Yukon’s largest city will be a tremendous environmental benefit, and we are proud that our offer of financial support will offset some of the cost to citizens and to the city.

“A curbside recycling program will allow residents a convenient means of disposing recyclable materials, diverting this material from the landfill, extending the life of your municipal landfill and reducing costs associated with landfill maintenance in the near-term.

“ ... The Government of Yukon appreciates the challenging situation that the City of Whitehorse has been placed in due to the unexpected upcoming closure of Raven ReCentre’s drop-off point for recyclable materials.

“Despite this, we are looking forward to seeing support for waste diversion of packaging and paper products stabilized through curbside recycling alongside our newly-implemented system of EPR,” Mostyn advises the city.

Cabott continues to question the process.

“For us here in Whitehorse, it’s not clear yet how this will be dealt with because that will be established through a producer stewardship plan,” the mayor told reporters.

“That details how the program will operate. Regulations need to be set up and established by the Yukon government.

“It only lists the City of Whitehorse as a stakeholder in these discussions,” Cabott noted.

“We are not a decision maker. If the city would enter into such a program, we would not have any decision making as how it is to be operated.”

Cabott added, “Needless to say, there a lot of unknowns. The Yukon government would be making decisions on behalf of Whitehorse residents.”