Living Plastic Free: Brain Food: Recycle City

It’s Environment Week in Canada, and today, June 5, is World Environment Day (shouldn't everyday be?).

I celebrated by reading the premiere issue of the magazine Granville: Sustainable City Living. Overall, it was pretty good. It included an interesting article Recycle City by Christopher Pollon.

I was especially interested in this article since I’m reading Garbage Land, and am curious about what really happens to all the stuff we recycle (does it end up in a landfill in China somewhere?). Alas, the article didn’t really answer that question…but at least pointed EnviroWoman in the right direction.

I can’t find a digital version of the article, so I’ll give you some of the bits I highlighted with my trusty orange plastic-free China Marker.

• First off, pat yerself on the back, because collectively the GVRD recycles 1.5 million tonnes of trash every year. This figure is exceptional compared to other regions, both in Canada and internationally
• This means our region has a ‘diversion’ rate of 52%, or over half of what could be trash, is recycled, reduced or composted.
• In 1995 the GVRD (which governs 21 municipalities) implemented an initiative to reduce the per-capita waste generation by 50%. Ambitious wasn’t it? But obviously doable
• About 15% of us are ‘uninterested polluters’ and do not recycle. (EW: These people should leave the planet)
• The GVRD is now working on a Zero Waste Challenge which could see the outright banning of a wide range of materials from landfills – like yard waste and the stuff we currently recycle. (EW: Go for it
• 80% of newsprint is being recycled
• The stuff you put in the Blue Box Recycling Program ends up at Canadian Fibre’s Richmond facility. From there:
• Mixed Paper goes to Deltaport where it’s shipped to China….
• Newsprint goes to a de-inking plant in Coquitlam and then to a Crofton pulp mill
• Plastics go to Merlin Plastics on Annacis Island, it’s the 15th largest plastic recycler in North America by sales (2006 revenues US $36 Million, good on ya).

The article contains a great list (which I’m trying to get and post here) of where to take lots of things you can't put in the blue box, like: batteries, cell phones, computers and electronics, eyeglasses, fluorescent light bulbs, glass, motor oil/oil filters, paint, pesticides and other liquid toxics/flammables, plastic bags, propane tanks, styrofoam (#6 plastic), tires, and wood.

If you’re interesting in knowing where to recycle any of these email me at envirowoman@shaw.ca.  

As an alternative, here’s a link to the Blue Box Recycling Brochure put out by the City of Vancouver every year.  

Remember, when it comes to plastic:

You can recycle:

• #1, #2, #4, #5 only. If it doesn’t have a code, do not recycle
• Remove the lids and throw them in the garbage (these are usually uncoded plastic)
• It’s okay to leave labels on
• Do not include any containers that have fatty or greasy residues

You can’t recycle:

• #3, #6, #7 or uncoded plastics
• Plastic bags or wraps
• Clear deli or baking containers (unless they have a code, and are clean)

If you have any questions about recycling, contact the Recycling Council of BC at 604.732.9253.