BC residents can now recycle even more items either in their home recycling, or by returning items to a recycling depot or London Drugs store. Effective January 1, 2023, Recycle BC is adding single-use products and packaging-like products to its residential recycling program.
The change is the result of an amendment to the BC Recycling Regulation. Previously, only plastic, metal and glass packaging, and paper products were included in the Recycle BC program. This change expands the accepted material list to include items that are used as packaging or a single use but were purchased as a product. Examples of these newly accepted items include:
Recyclable with paper:
- Paper party décor (paper decorations, signs, hats, tablecloths, pinatas)
- Paper gift bags and boxes
- Paper lunch bags
- Cardboard moving, filing boxes
Recyclable with containers:
- Plastic plates, bowls and cups
- Paper plates, bowls and cups (with thin plastic lining)
- Plastic food storage containers
- Plastic cutlery and straws
- Plastic hangers (that come with clothing)
- Aluminum foil wrap
- Aluminum foil baking dishes and pie plates
- Metal storage tins (thin gauge)
Recyclable with flexible plastics (at depots only):
- Plastic sandwich and freezer bags
- Plastic shrink wrap
- Flexible plastic drop sheets and covering
- Flexible plastic bubble wrap (no bubble wrap-lined paper)
- Flexible plastic recycling bags (blue, clear bags, or yellow or blue bags used for curbside collection)
- Flexible plastic carryout shopping bags (reusable)
This expanded material list will allow more material to be recycled and keep it out of landfills and the environment. Residents play a key role in recycling this material as the first step in the process – allowing clean, or rinsed, material to be collected – by putting it in their bins or taking it to a depot. View the full list of newly accepted materials at RecycleBC.ca/NewItems.
View the full material list at RecycleBC.ca/Materials.