What you put in your blue bin still matters, a lot: Recycle B.C. says it still needs your help
Posted May 28, 2019 7:32 am.
Last Updated May 28, 2019 9:33 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – What you toss in the blue bin matters more now than ever, according to the people who run B.C.’s recycling program.
Despite overseas pressures, all recyclables are still being dealt with in the province, but your help is needed to keep it that way.
The world market for recycled materials is shifting and many jurisdictions in Canada are limiting what’s being collected, meaning more is ending up in the landfill.
However, according to Recycle B.C., this province is unique in North America in that companies are responsible for financing and managing the collection of recyclables they produce. The organization’s David Lefebvre says that ensures a large amount of premium material, which is more easily sold, especially to local processors.
“All of the materials we that we collect here in B.C. is still being recycled,” he says. “And that includes plastic packaging, paper products, glass, metal containers.”
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Plastic containers you recycle are processed in Metro Vancouver, with metals and paper going to buyers locally, in North America and overseas.
“In this era right now, where we have shifting markets, quality is paramount. So more than ever we need people to be really vigilant and make sure that whatever they’re placing in their bin is the right product. That will really help us make sure that we can continue to recycle those materials.”
Lefebvre says the program in place in B.C. is quite unique and allows the province to find markets because it’s operated on a provincial level.
His message to consumers is to keep your faith in recycling in B.C., and make sure you’re vigilant in putting the right materials in your blue bin to keep that quality up.
“When you do that, you can ensure that the quality of the material is there and that helps us find end markets for these materials, which at the end of day means those materials get processed,” Lefebvre adds.
