Thank you, Madam Speaker. I congratulate the government on our steady progress towards a greater environmental sustainability to the Waste Reduction and Recovery Program as reflected in the annual report for 2010-11 tabled last December. The report is a catalogue of good news. With beverage container recycling, NWT citizens achieved an 82 percent rate of return or about 25 million of the 30 million deposit containers sold. Twenty-seven locally operated depots, three satellite depots and three processing centres are providing 12 full-time jobs, 30 part-time jobs and five seasonal jobs, plus opportunities for volunteers and community groups to make money from waste.
Now in its sixth year, the program has resulted in a return of more than 135 million beverage containers that might otherwise pack our landfills or pollute our land. While the cost of return transportation for collecting containers are expected to rise as NTCL transitions the full price for backhauling, the program is up and running, set for success.
Progress in the Single-Use Retail Bag Program is equally impressive. The year of 2011 saw the extension of the program to apply not just to grocery stores but to all retail stores. Good marketing and public education programs help us adopt this new shopping habit and cloth shopping bags. Good riddance to this major source of litter in landfills.
The Waste Paper Product Initiative has completed its three-year run. High transportation costs and low waste paper resale value present challenges, but progress is being made in some centres. Environment Fund revenues exceeded expenditures by $465,000 and ended the year with a strong positive balance.
Past surveys have indicated public desire to see electronic goods such as TVs, personal computers and microwaves recycled, with further research underway to identify options. Action on tires, batteries and other recyclables are on the horizon, hopefully. We are getting good guidance from our Public Advisory Committee. I look forward to the management review underway and new program efficiencies.
People have embraced the opportunity to live more lightly on the land. We are helping our next generation develop positive consumer habits and we are throwing away the throw-away society. I am confident this government and our people are up for even greater success. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Colleagues, before we continue with Members’ statements, please join me in welcoming back into the House today in the visitors gallery, the former Member for the Mackenzie Delta, our former colleague and Member of this House, Mr. David Krutko.
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Welcome back. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
