Interchange Recycling's EPR stewardship plan approved in Yukon

Interchange Recycling, a Victoria, British Columbia-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to the collection and recycling of used motor oil, oil filters, oil containers, used antifreeze and antifreeze containers, has announced its expansion to Yukon, starting Aug. 1.

A new permanent collection site will accept lubricating oil, antifreeze, diesel exhaust fluid, oil filters and all automotive containers from Yukon residents, and will be in Whitehorse, Yukon. Interchange Recycling will be facilitating collection events outside of Whitehorse to reach additional residents across the territory, the organization says.

This marks Interchange Recycling’s first expansion beyond British Columbia, bringing its extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to a new jurisdiction. 

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“Our extended producer responsibility Stewardship Plan was among one of the first EPR programs to be approved by the Yukon Environment Protection and Assessment Branch,” says Jenn Robson, director of operations at Interchange Recycling. “This approval marks a significant milestone for EPR in Yukon and reinforces a shared commitment to responsible product management and environmental sustainability. We’ve had a lot of success over the past two decades with our program in British Columbia, and we’ve been working hard alongside our local Yukon partners to establish this convenient collection service so that businesses, consumers and industry stakeholders all have a clear and accessible recycling option for lubricating oil, antifreeze, diesel exhaust fluid, oil filters and automotive containers. Together, we’re keeping these materials out of landfills and processing them in an environmentally friendly manner.”

According to Interchange Recycling, Yukon is actively enhancing its recycling infrastructure and has set targets to reduce per capita waste generation by 10 percent by 2030 and to increase waste diversion from landfills to 40 percent by 2025.

Specific guidelines for the Interchange Recycling Yukon program, including how to properly store used products before bringing them to a recycling center or event, will be shared this summer.

As part of Interchange Recycling’s mandate to enhance recycling efforts of new automotive and industrial products, the organization’s product scope has expanded in Yukon to include all automotive containers and diesel exhaust fluid, alongside lubricating oil, oil filters and antifreeze. On average, nearly 50 million liters of used oil are collected each year in British Columbia alone, Interchange Recycling says.

“We want to make drop-off as convenient and seamless as possible for Whitehorse residents and will be actively listening to their feedback as we kick-off the program,” Robson says. “Our collection events outside of Whitehorse will ensure that Yukon residents who live outside of Whitehorse are able to access the program. Our EPR program in this territory will be safe and easy to use, ensuring the proper disposal of materials, preventing pollution, reducing waste and supporting a circular economy. It will also create jobs in recycling and waste management; while helping businesses and the Yukon government get a step closer to their per capita waste reduction goals and increase waste diversion from landfills.”