November 2, 2010 - More than 125 million beverage containers have been returned since the NWT Beverage Container Program first began on November 1, 2005.

“Since its’ inception, the Beverage Container Program has had enormous public support,” said Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), J. Michael Miltenberger. “We have an 84 percent recovery rate overall and we have NWT residents to thank for this success.”

The Beverage Container Program was the first program created under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act to manage approximately 30 million containers that annually end up in NWT landfills or as litter along the NWT streets and highways.

Since the Program began, more than 13 million dollars have been returned to NWT residents in refundable deposits. 1,078 tons of aluminum have been shipped south for recycling, enough to make 61 million new cans, and 618 tons of plastic has been diverted from NWT landfills and recycled into new plastic products.

“This program would not be possible without the dedicated workers who operate the community depots and the processing centres run by stores, schools, non-profit groups, band development corporations, individuals and businesses,” added Minister Miltenberger. “They have tirelessly collected, sorted, baled and shipped these containers to keep them off our streets and out of our landfills.”

This program is part of the Government of the Northwest Territories’ broader vision of environmental stewardship under the GNWT’s Managing This Land strategic initiative.

For more information, visit www.icarenwt.ca or contact:

Judy McLinton
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Tel: (867) 873-7379