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Recycle BC
FormerlyMulti-Material B.C.
IndustryRecycling paper and packaging
FoundedMay 19, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-05-19)
HeadquartersNorth Vancouver, British Columbia
Areas served
5.6 million households in British Columbia
Key people
Sam Baker (Executive Director)[1]
Websiterecyclebc.ca

Recycle BC (previously known as Multi-Material B.C.) is a not-for-profit organization which manages residential packaging and paper recycling in British Columbia.[2] The not-for-profit was created in 2014, after a 2011 law by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, transferring the cost of recycling from residents to producers.[3] Producers who sell products in British Columbia pay fees to Recycle BC for the packaging and paper supplied on a quarterly basis determined by how many kilograms of each material they sold in the province. Items collected are sorted and sold to end-markets for processing into new products.

Overview

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Recycle BC manages recycling collected from 156 communities which include 1.8 million households (98% of British Columbia's population).[4] In 13 of these communities, Recycle BC also manages the collection of materials directly from households. The remaining communities receive curbside and multi-family recycling collection paid for by Recycle BC. Items accepted by the program can differ depending on the community, but typically include paper, cardboard, plastic containers, metal containers, cartons, paper cups.[5] Some areas also have separate bins for the collection of glass bottles and jars; however, they are only accepted at depots in most areas. Collected plastics are processed within the province through a contract with Green by Nature.[6]

The three major newspaper companies in British Columbia (Postmedia Network, Black Press and Glacier Media) have refused to pay their fees, resulting in the provincial government sending the publishers warning notices in 2016.[7] In 2017, News Media Canada created their own stewardship plan, which uses operational elements of the Recycle BC system to recycle newsprint.[8][9]

A pilot project was conducted in Coquitlam from May – August 2018 to recycle squeeze tubes, making it the first city in North America to accept the item through curbside recycling.[10]

Collection done by Recycle BC

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Recycling depots

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Recycle BC has contracts with private companies which operate recycling depots and are paid by the kilogram per material type.[22] Most depots accept curbside recycling items; however, some only collect polystyrene foam, plastic bags and glass (in some communities).[23][24] In June 2018, a pilot program began at 116 depots in the province to collect flexible plastics.[25] Items accepted in this new program include cellophane, zipper storage bags, bubble wrap, chip bags, granola bar wrappers, net bags for produce, plastic shipping envelopes and woven rice bags.[26] London Drugs stores in the province also act as Recycle BC depots.[27]

Curbside recycling

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In August 2016, Recycle BC began a pilot program with the City of Vancouver consisting of 31 sets of bins, including for paper and mixed containers.[28] They are located in the West End and the pilot program ran until the end of 2017.[29] As of July 2018, the bins were still in place

As of June 1, 2025, Recycle BC has expanded its curbside collection to include flexible plastics in West Vancouver[30] and Maple Ridge.

Criticism

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A CBC investigation in 2019 found that of three Recycle BC contractors, Waste Connections, GFL, and Merlin Plastics, only Merlin Plastics recycled their material.[31] Recycle BC approves the end markets for all of our materials before they are transferred,[32] and with the plastic from this investigation, it was found that Recycle BC sends almost all of its plastics to Merlin Plastics, who recycles this material; only less than 1% of plastic is shipped overseas in the form of densified polystyrene, which is only a portion of the foam Recycle BC collects.

Recycle BC also received criticism when the of Osoyoos eliminated blue bags and non-reusable clear bags in July 2020 and complained over having to use their own reusable containers, such as carts, cans, bins or sacs. As of Fall 2025, the town will switch to a modernized, efficient, safer, and modernized system for curbside recycling [33]

References

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  1. ^ ""Recycle BC Welcomes Sam Baker as Executive Director" set for April 1". Recycle BC. 1 April 2025. Archived from the original on 2025-04-01. Retrieved 1 April 2025. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2017-12-28 suggested (help)
  2. ^ Sinoski, Kelly (26 March 2014). "Big changes ahead for recycling in Metro Vancouver". The Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Environmental Management Act: Recycling Regulation", Government of British Columbia, 2004, archived from the original on 17 June 2017, retrieved 31 December 2017
  4. ^ "About Us". Recycle BC. 14 February 2017. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. ^ "New B.C. recycling program frustrates municipalities". CBC News. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  6. ^ Pablo, Carlito (11 April 2019). "Metro Vancouver recycling companies hurting from China crackdown on dirty waste imports". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  7. ^ Laanela, Mike (19 April 2016). "'Freeriding' B.C. newspapers costing recycling program millions". CBC News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  8. ^ "B.C. newspaper chains launch mass recycling plan". Business in Vancouver. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  9. ^ "British Columbia Stewardship Plan". News Media Canada. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  10. ^ Strandberg, Diane (10 May 2018). "Squeeze tube recycling trial starts in Coquitlam". Tri-City News. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  11. ^ Cleugh, Janis (18 March 2014). "Smithrite wins recycling contracts for Coquitlam, Anmore". Tri-City News. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Changes To City Of Langley Recycling Start May 19". Langley Today. 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  13. ^ Phillips, Bill (2 September 2014). "Curbside recycling starts today in Prince George". Prince George Free Press. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Who is MMBC?". Quesnel Cariboo Observer. Black Press. 11 July 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018 – via Issuu.
  15. ^ "Board of Directors Minutes- Regular" (PDF), Regional District of North Okanagan, p. 5, 4 September 2013, archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2017, retrieved 29 December 2017
  16. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  17. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  18. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  19. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  20. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  21. ^ "Home Collection - Recycle BC". 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  22. ^ "SCRD Recycling Depots to Join MMBC", The Local Weekly, 21 May 2014, archived from the original on 31 December 2017
  23. ^ "MMBC FAQ" (PDF), City of Abbotsford, p. 2, 2014, archived (PDF) from the original on 9 January 2018, retrieved 30 December 2017
  24. ^ Nagel, Jeff (15 May 2014). "B.C.'s bluebox recycling shift may bring some confusion". Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News. Black Press. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  25. ^ Meissner, Dirk (13 June 2018). "B.C. aims to recycle difficult plastic: chip bags, crinkly wraps". National Post. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  26. ^ Huffman, Alexa (31 May 2018). "More than 100 recycling depots across B.C. to accept potato chip bags and other flexible plastic packaging". CHEK-DT. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  27. ^ Ubels, Erin (31 October 2018). "Your Halloween candy wrappers can be put to good use, experts say". Global News. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  28. ^ Judd, Amy (25 August 2016). "New recycling pilot project launched in Vancouver". Global News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  29. ^ Chan, Kenneth (17 July 2017). "Vancouver installing new large garbage and recycling bins on sidewalks". Daily Hive Vancouver. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  30. ^ Weichel, Andrew (2025-06-02). "Plastic bags, chip wrappers now collected for recycling in West Vancouver". CTVNews. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
  31. ^ Katie, Pederson (28 Sep 2019). "We asked 3 companies to recycle Canadian plastic and secretly tracked it. Only 1 company recycled the material". CBC News. Retrieved 26 Jun 2025. {{cite news}}: Check |archiveurl= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ "Recycle BC's response to CBC Marketplace - Recycle BC". 2019-09-30. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
  33. ^ "Curbside Pickup Automated Cart Program | Osoyoos | Canada's warmest welcome". www.osoyoos.ca. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
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