We’re taking you on a room-by-room and item-by-item tour through your home helping to identify the biggest packaging and paper recycling opportunities. Despite BC residents being great recyclers overall, there are a number of recyclable items still being thrown away.
Take A Recycling Home Tour
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TAKE A HOME TOUR!
See below for home recycling opportunities.
GET INFORMED
- View our full material list.
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- View the media release and graphic research summary.
| Item | wdt_ID | Opportunity (% of residents who currently throw away) | How to recycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerosol metal containers (e.g. spray sunscreen, hair spray) | 1 | 33% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) *must be totally empty |
| Spray plastic containers (spray sunscreen, hair spray) | 2 | 25% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Metal containers (e.g. hair product, hand cream) | 3 | 21% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Hard plastic containers (e.g. shampoo, body wash, face wash, conditioner, mouthwash, sunscreen, moisturizer, pill bottles) | 4 | 13% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Paper boxboard (e.g. toilet paper cores, soap bar boxes, tissue boxes, cosmetic boxes) | 5 | 9% | Recycle with paper (paper bag, bin, or cart) |
| Item | wdt_ID | % of residents who currently throw away | How to recycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-use coffee pods (K-cup pods) | 1 | 24% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) *remove lid and empty |
| Cartons (e.g. soup, ice cream, chicken stock) | 2 | 17% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Spiral wound cans (e.g. frozen fruit juice, chips, cookie dough) | 3 | 23% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Plastic clamshell (e.g. for baked goods, fruit, produce) | 4 | 12% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Glass jars (non-deposit) (e.g. olive oil, honey, pasta sauce, spice jars) | 5 | 11% | Recycle with glass (depot, glass bin (if available)) |
| Milk and milk substitute cartons (e.g. milk, soy milk, almond milk, eggnog, cream) | 6 | 10% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Metal cans (e.g. beans, corn, soup, chili, tomato paste, cat food, tuna) | 7 | 8% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Hard plastic containers and packaging (e.g. condiments, salad dressing, vinegar, pre-packaged salad, dried fruit, protein powder, margarine) | 8 | 8% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Pulp paper (e.g., egg cartons, berry boxes and trays) | 9 | 8% | Recycle with paper (bag, bin, or cart) |
| Paper boxboard (e.g. cereal box, baking soda, paper towel rolls) | 10 | 6% | Recycle with paper (bag, bin, or cart) |
| Item | wdt_ID | % of residents who currently throw away | How to recycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerosol metal containers (e.g. air freshener, disinfectant, shoe protector) | 1 | 30% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Metal containers (e.g. shoe polish) | 2 | 21% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Spiral wound paper containers (cleaning products) | 3 | 20% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Hard plastic containers and packaging (e.g. laundry detergent, cleaning products, fabric softener) | 4 | 11% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Paper boxboard (laundry detergent, paper towel rolls, product packaging) | 5 | 7% | Recycle with paper (bag, bin, or cart) |
| Item | wdt_ID | % of residents who currently throw away | How to recycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerosol metal containers (e.g. bug control, car interior cleaner, tire spray) | 1 | 30% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) *must be totally empty |
| Plastic packaging (e.g. tools, windshield wiper packaging) | 2 | 14% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Plastic pails (e.g. pet food, fertilizer, driveway salt) | 3 | 11% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Hard plastic containers (e.g. weed killer, pest control, windshield washer fluid) | 4 | 11% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Plastic plant pots and trays (e.g. flower pots) | 5 | 10% | Recycle with containers (blue bin, cart) |
| Item | wdt_ID | % of residents who currently throw away | How to recycle/return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crinkly wrappers and bags (chip bags, granola bar wrappers, cookie bag, dried pasta bag, candy wrappers, etc.) | 1 | 57% | Return to depot (other flexible plastic packaging) |
| Plastic net bags (e.g. oranges, avocados, lemons, woven plastic rice bags) | 2 | 52% | Return to depot (other flexible plastic packaging) |
| Plastic overwrap (e.g. plastic wrap on pop flats, paper towels, toilet paper) | 3 | 49% | Return to depot (plastic bags and overwrap) |
| Flexible packaging with plastic seal (e.g. fresh pasta bags, pre-packaged deli meat and cheese packaging) | 4 | 48% | Return to depot (other flexible plastic packaging) |
| Stand up and zipper lock pouches (e.g. frozen berries, granola, raisins, beans or grains, laundry pods, dishwasher pods, liquid soap refills) | 5 | 43% | Return to depot (other flexible plastic packaging) |
| Foam packaging (e.g. take-out containers, egg cartons, meat trays, protective packaging for electronics, appliances, furniture, etc.) | 6 | 38% | Return to depot (foam packaging) |