People in North Norfolk have been taking to the new recycling programs offered by the municipality.

Mayor Neil Christoffersen says they've seen a serious increase in people using the recycling programs and they want to remind everyone to keep it up.

"We're sending out a newsletter to the whole municipality in regards to our recycling program. Our initiatives have proved hugely successful and we want to thank everyone for buying into it and encourage everyone to do more if they can because the average recycling numbers for all of Manitoba are 72 kgs per person every year. North Norfolk, being a rural area which is usually lower, we're averaging out at 45 kgs per-person and we think we can do better than that."

Neil Christoffersen says there are also a few changes to the recycling program people need to know about in the upcoming newsletter. (file photo)

Christoffersen says everything is aimed at the environment, and the more people can keep out of the landfill, the better for everyone.

"We started a program this summer to shred our garbage to take up less space in our landfill and it's been very successful," boasts Christoffersen. "We shred all of our garbage and we save a lot of space now. Eight bags (of trash) into the shredder come out as just one, so we're saving a lot of space. The reason for the letter is to remind people of the programs we have going on with recycling, and some of the rules that we've had to tweak a bit to deal with changes to the program."

"The recycling unit we pay for by the hour doesn't take metal, so we're encouraging people to keep metal out of the recycling," says Christoffersen. "Some people are throwing propane tanks or old toasters into the garbage when they should be throwing them in the metal bin separately because we have to go through them and dig them out by hand. We've also changed the glass program a bit too. We bought a new garbage truck to save time that really compacts everything, well it's breaking the glass and the people that recycle it are getting cut so we have a separate morning where we pick up all the glass around the municipality."

He adds people are really getting behind the program and it's encouraging to see.