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City of Nanaimo is working to reduce contamination of curbside recycling

City Staff will be conducting audits and leaving information for residents

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed June 27, 2017 2:05 PM

Summary

Recycle BC (formerly known as MMBC) has requested the City reduce their contamination to the provincial requirement of 3%. The latest audits show that the City's contamination rates have dropped from 14% to 10% but the City believes together with residents it can achieve contamination results much closer to the 3% target.

To ensure everyone is aware what items are considered contamination, a worker will be going around neighbourhoods to survey residential curbside recycling. Unaccepted material will be taken out and placed in a paper bag with a "Left Behind" sticker and a recycling guide. If the yellow bag is highly contaminated the whole bag will be left behind and the resident will be asked to re-sort their waste.

Link to Strategic Plan: Taking responsibility to be an excellent municipal government

Key Points

  • Recycling audits will be conducted once the bags are on the curb but before collection.
  • Residents with no contamination will be receiving a "Thank You" Sticker.

Quotes

"Randomized curbside inspections are one of the ways we educate residents about proper recycling. I would also encourage residents to download 'Nanaimo Recycles' app and use the what goes where tool to look up material they are unsure about as well as to call, email or check out our website if they have any questions."

Crystal Yuen
Sort Toss Roll Program Assistant
City of Nanaimo

Quick Facts

  • Some of the most common items found at the curbside recycling are plastic bag/ overwrap, styrofoam and glass. Another material that's also found is product material, we only accept printed paper and packaging. For example, the box for legos is a packaging and the lego pieces is a product item.
  • Overwrap for pizzas, toilet paper, bread etc... is actually not accepted in the curbside recycling. If you can not take these to the Nanaimo Recycling Exchange, Alpine Disposal & Recycling, Regional Recycling or London Drugs, please place them in your garbage.
  • Please keep your recycling loose in a yellow bag or a rigid container. Do not put your recycling out in tied bags. Yellow bags can be picked up for free at any City facilities.
  • Contamination adds up and what may seem like a small thing is a big problem when it comes to recycling the City’s waste. Contaminated recycling can lead to whole loads being landfilled. Plastic bags/ overwrap, styrofoam and glass can only be recycled through the depot since they are handled separately.

Images

Material that was not accepted, was not collected.
Material that was not accepted, was not collected.
Your recycling was free of contamination, everything was collected.
Your recycling was free of contamination, everything was collected.
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Contact:

Crystal Yuen
Sort Toss Roll Project Assistant
City of Nanaimo
(250) 756 5390

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