A Year of Waste Reduction
- kc dyer
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Community Recycling Depot wants to save you time and money
The Lions Bay Community Recycling Depot (CRD) has been open just over a year, and in the first twelve months has kept over 1,700 kilograms (1.7 metric tonnes) of recyclable products out of the landfill.
It's also saved residents the cost of gas driving recyclable items that don't go into the blue bin all the way into North Vancouver. And it is a valuable source of income for the Village, too.
"The Village makes money when residents recycle," says Councillor Neville Abbott. "Prior to the opening of the CRD, that amounted to about $20,000 each year in revenue generated by the contents of the blue boxes. In the year since the CRD has opened, that figure has grown to over $40,000."
Abbott is also the Chair of the Lions Bay Climate Action Committee (CAC). Committee member and long-time resident Andrew Wray spearheaded the drive to open the CRD down at the Public Works yard.
Wray is most excited about the newest addition to the list of recyclable items: small metals. "This does not include fridge and stoves," Wray says. "It is really geared to small items such as old pots and pans that measure less than one foot on a side."
Wray points to the Recycle BC website as a resource for checking to see if an item is recyclable. "It's important people are aware of what can be recycled between curbside pickup, the Community Recycling Depot and the North Shore Recycling Depot."
The poster below is a good, quick reference:
Wray offers a few further suggestions:
Styrofoam includes the black or white foam containers that your meat and fish comes in at the supermarket. It also includes foam egg containers.
Batteries include all types of household battery, whether it be from an old power tool or a digital watch. Only car batteries are not included, but can be recycled wherever you buy a one.
Wax-coated milk, cream and ice cream cartons can all go in your blue bin. Please just make sure they are clean to ensure they are bear safe.
Aluminum foil, foil plates and trays can all go into the blue bin.
Paper towels are not recyclable but they are compostable, so toss them in with organic waste.
Paper bags, such as some coffee bags, that are a combination of paper lined with a plastic or foil layer are not recyclable. Hopefully this helps with your decision which coffee to buy!
Unbroken lightbulbs of all varieties can be recycled at the CRD, as can small metal kitchen tools and small appliances (toasters, microwaves), as long as they are less than three feet long on any side.
Silicone straws or other items cannot be recycled.
Drinking glasses cannot be recycled.
Take unwanted reading glasses back to the optometrist for repurposing.
Since most large dog food bags are lined with plastic and so cannot be put into recycling, fill them with your invasive plants and put them into the garbage.
Soft plastics are accepted at the CRD, and are divided into 'soft' and 'crinkly'. If the item is substantially clear and a bit stretchy (such as the plastic bags in the bulk section of the supermarket) it is considered soft plastic. Anything else is crinkly, including chip packets. Wray notes that soft plastics are recycled to make new plastic and so are not “lost”. Crinkly plastic is used as fuel for green energy, which is not as environmentally friendly, but still better than landfill.
"We have a wonderful Works Department staff and, if I am not sure I take the item down and ask them when I do my recycling," says Wray. "If they don’t know they will often take the item so that they can speak directly with our service provider as to whether it can be recycled or not."
The Community Recycling Depot is open at the Village Public Works Yard in Lower Kelvin Grove on Friday mornings from 6 - 9 a.m. and Saturdays from 8 - 11 a.m.
Abbott says his regular trips to the CRD, chatting with residents and staff, have been engaging and interesting. "It's been encouraging to see the steady increase in users of the CRD for recycling and as an option for those who choose not to use curbside collection for garbage and food waste," he says. "Everyone wins with less contaminants in landfill, more BC Recycling money for the Village and less curbside attractants for wildlife. Thank you all who continue to support the program."
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Friday works yard drop-offs are from 6am to 9am for those who wish to drop off on the way to work.
I am so grateful for this service! Our garbage has been reduced to a small bag once a month since we have been able to easily recycle all our plastic waste by taking it to the works yard.