THE WORST KIND OF LITTERBUGS
After recognizing the sheer volume of abandoned vehicles in Yukon’s landfills, on roadsides and in forests, the territory’s auto recyclers are working to clear the problem.
“[There are] growing piles of metal, growing piles of cars,” Ralph Charleston of Raven Recycling Society told the CBC’s The National. “We’re just trying to catch up and get it back down to zero.”
Contrary to other provinces, the Yukon has no strategies for recycling cars, according to the local recycler population. Any cars that Raven Recycling Society can save are brought to a Whitehorse auto shop that prepares them for end-of-life crushing, draining all vehicle fluids and fuel.
After they are crushed, the vehicles recycled through Raven are sent to Edmonton, where parts will be picked from the cube of scrap metal. Local First Nations groups also keep an eye out for abandoned vehicles on their lands.
“We’re here to ensure our future generations have a sustainable future for them to thrive on,” said Amanda Leas, chief of the Ta’an Kw ch’ n Council.
The government claims to be working on a solution, said CBC, and locals hope to soon see their picturesque landscape return to normal.
An abandoned U.S. military truck on the Canol Rd. in the Yukon.
