Zero waste in ‘08

The new year will bring some new garbage and recycling policies for Vancouverites. Metro Vancouver has is implementing a ‘zero waste’ policy for landfills, which comes into effect January 1st. This is a positive step towards a good foundation for reconsidering consumer decisions in terms of a product’s lifespan, use and how you will eventually dispose of it – all to help us go green!

The new policy across the Metro Vancouver area is that everything that can be recycled MUST be recycled. With landfills no longer accepting things like cardboard, beverage containers and electronics in 2008, it will be a learning curve to figure out how to dispose of different types of waste - some of which you will have to pay for. Items you can no longer dispose as garbage as of January 01, 2008 include:

• Vehicle tires Most tire retailers will take back your used tires. Visit www.tirestewardship.ca for more info.
• Oil, oil filters and empty containers The BC used oil material recycling program offers an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution to disposing of used oil, oil filters and plastic oil containers. For more info, visit www.usedoilrecycling.ca.
• Yard trimmings Trimmings can be re-used as chips or compost, or use curbside pick up, a municipal depot or the yard and green waste area at a disposal facility.
• Blue box recyclables Fully recyclable products are banned from the landfills as they needlessly fill hauling truck and landfill space. Each municipality has its own blue box recycling program; sort recyclable items and use programs available to your home or business.
• Beverage containers Includes all containers of ready-to-drink beverages, cardboard milk containers and tetra packs.
• Medications/pharmaceuticals Unused products should be returned to the pharmacy where they were purchased for safe disposal or visit http://www.medicationsreturn.ca.

It is estimated that expanding the list of banned materials will help keep an additional 150,000 tonnes of recyclable material out of the regions landfills. Visit www.metrovancouver.org for more information on this policy. For recycling in Vancouver, check out our definitive recycling guide or call 604-RECYCLE.