Recycling (not mandatory up North?)

The local recycling depot "Raven Recycling" is run purely by cashing in on high commodity prices. So when the price of metals, alumniums and steel crashed this past fall 2008, the actual recycling depot of Whitehorse was in danger of running into the ground.

Now looking for government assistance, grumblings of shutting down have hopefully been hushed. But it does beg the question--why ISN'T recycling an already municipal/provincial/federally-funded initiative here? Please, we know we need to recycle. Garbage days alternate with compost days, but that is not enough.

Also a fun bonus of Raven Recycling is the 'Free Store.' Located inside the depot, the Free Store is a big pile of clothes, heaps of unusual electronics (cash counting machines?) shoes, skates, old encyclopedias, textbooks and a plethora of romance novels.

I love the Free Store. So do my friends, self-confessed freegan-types.

So, even on those painful -37 days when you run your heap of cardboard and beer bottles down to the depot and dash about, slipping on the snow, to chuck everything into bins...Raven Recycling is worth having, keeping and supporting. By us and the government.

In a side-note, despite having (or maybe this is my interpretation) of being a bit of a hippie-haven (spendy organic, gluten free bakeries, DIY mentality)..people are terrible about enviro-friendly stuff. Leaving lights on, leaving electric heaters extraneous to oil heat running all night/day, wasting groceries, leaving cars running for HOURS...

Folks, I understand when it is -38 the leave running and dash for groceries. It could be an Olympic event here. But the energy hog and atmosphere cluttering has to stop. Nobody blames you for leaving the car running when it is that cold, or driving extra but when it warms up a bit? Try and think about recycling or composting more.