How to recycle properly!?

[kelownman]

I often wonder and shake my head when going to the recycle depot and told I cannot throw plastic garbage bags in the plastic bin....the garbage bags made of plastic must go to the landfill. WHAT? LOL

And why cant they have curbside glass pickup along with the cardboard, plastic and paper?

[Bsuds]

I often wonder and shake my head when going to the recycle depot and told I cannot throw plastic garbage bags in the plastic bin....the garbage bags made of plastic must go to the landfill. WHAT? LOL

And why cant they have curbside glass pickup along with the cardboard, plastic and paper?

Mostly because the glass breaks and contaminates the other recyclables.

I agree that our recycling rules seem a little ridiculous.

If I have to make a special trip with some items to recycle them then guess what? They will get picked up with the garbage!

[lesliepaul]

MANY other locations include glass in the recycling containers...……...Kelowna is special I guess and does not want it. No problem on my end...……….right into the garbage! Years ago they wanted you to remove the labels off of cans...…... them!

Waiting now to hear that the glass is contaminating the garbage.

[GordonH]

MANY other locations include glass in the recycling containers...……...Kelowna is special I guess and does not want it. No problem on my end...……….right into the garbage! Years ago they wanted you to remove the labels off of cans...…... them!

Waiting now to hear that the glass is contaminating the garbage.

Glass is recyclable just needs to be separated into each colour. Of course if there is no glass plant... oh thats right it was closed down and also torn down.

[bigtimeoperations]

Glass can break and possibly injure recycling sorters, bags can get caught in the machinery, and styrofoam breaks down into tiny pieces. That is why these items are supposed to be kept separate from the rest of the household recycling. Personally, I have no problem taking these items to the depot when I return my refundables. I have two old curbside blue bins: one for refundables and one for glass, styrofoam and bags/packaging. Whenever one is full I take them in, probably about every six weeks.

Recycling in general need some re-thinking. Too many idiots throwing dirty diapers and rotting food in the recycling, which then contaminates the load. Also there is the controversy involving North American recycling and garbage being shipped to foreign countries. All kinds of problems with that. Some of it just ends up in the ocean.

[lesliepaul]

Garbage.........Check........with glass.
Blue Box.........Check.
Recyclables get taken in for $$$$!

DONE!

This takes mineable effort and that’s all they get from me.
I will not be stockpiling glass to make a special trip when MY space is limited. These recycling companies have contracts in the millions and try to pull at peoples heartstrings to do more so THEIR profit margins will increase.

........send Greta over, she can do the dirty work.

[youjustcomplain]

Since when is this a big deal?

All items with the Recycling triangle get broken down or flattened then tossed into the blue bin at my house. It's really not a big deal. In fact, if I didn't do this, I'd need two more garbage bins as we fill the blue bin every two weeks. Things like peanut butter jars get a quick rinse in the dirty water after I've done the dishes. 90% of the jar is clean, but I can't easily get to the bottom so it's not perfect. I really don't understand how this is a waste of water as the OP puts it. I'm not filling a bathtub to rinse it out. I'm using old luke warm water that has been re-purposed.
Glass - I toss it in with the bottles and cans that I take to the bottle depot. The bottle depots take glass, so when I sort my pop/beer cans, I just put my few glass jars in a different pile. No big deal

Styrofoam and plastic wrap. These, for me, are annoying but only because I haven't, yet, developed a simple way to store them until the next time I drive by the dump. This says way more about my laziness than anything else. In fact, I might just solve that problem tonight. It will take me less than a minute to move a small bin beside my bottle depot bin.

One other thing left out of the OP's wild rant was food waste. I never used to have a compost, but when we moved into our current house, a composter came with it. Now, I fill a 4 litre container every 2 days and run it out to my backyard compost. Most of my yard waste goes in it. All I need to do is turn it a few times here and there and I get tons of great soil for my garden. All from items that I previously treated as garbage.
I recognize that many people can't compost. But it would be nice if our curb side collection could have a compost program. They could just let it turn into dirt then mix it with the dirt they already sell back to us at the dump.

[Bsuds]

Glass - I toss it in with the bottles and cans that I take to the bottle depot. The bottle depots take glass, so when I sort my pop/beer cans, I just put my few glass jars in a different pile. No big deal.

I use their new system of having an account and a barcode put on a bag full of mixed returnables. Works great as you just drop off the bag and they sort it and add the refund to your account that can be e transferred to you at your request.

I still recycle my glass but keep it separate.

The part that irks me is the Styrofoam meat containers that they want me to wash and take to the depot. Why can't they be added to the recycle bin? Probably because some folks are lazy and won't wash them so they contaminate the other stuff. So we all suffer.

[youjustcomplain]

I use their new system of having an account and a barcode put on a bag full of mixed returnables. Works great as you just drop off the bag and they sort it and add the refund to your account that can be e transferred to you at your request.

I still recycle my glass but keep it separate.

The part that irks me is the Styrofoam meat containers that they want me to wash and take to the depot. Why can't they be added to the recycle bin? Probably because some folks are lazy and won't wash them so they contaminate the other stuff. So we all suffer.

Oh boy. I toss those in the garbage. It appears I really do need to put more effort in ! Good reminder. Thank you. :)

As for the barcode and account. That blows my mind. It's amazing ! Never seen it at the bottle depot I use, but I might just investigate. I don't like picking through my old pop and beer cans and getting all that sticky drippings on me !

[Queen K]

BUMP

Barriers? to recycling? What are they? The RD want's to know why people are just dumping recycling into garbage cans?

Vehicle barriers as in: can't always get to the Columbia Bottle Depot with scads of stuff because there is not car and handidart won't take you there.
Separating out is confusing for some.
Some don't understand that the landfill is FILLING up and the Okanagan's garbage problem will become a shipping issue.

What else? Don't dare use the "l" word, don't do it don't do it don't do it LAZY.


https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#305866

[Queen K]

I often wonder and shake my head when going to the recycle depot and told I cannot throw plastic garbage bags in the plastic bin....the garbage bags made of plastic must go to the landfill. WHAT? LOL

And why cant they have curbside glass pickup along with the cardboard, plastic and paper?

I had this exact same issue the other day and the same result. Take them home and put them in your black bin.

As for the glass, glass is a liability issue. and broken glass inside containers creates contaminated loads which may not be salvageable. It also could cut a workers hands, badly. The bin where they collect glass at the Columbia Bottle Depot is always filling up or filled, I'm glad people are taking the time.

[Grandan]

My wife and I were checking to see what day it was for our garbage collection and whether it was recycling or yard waste.
I found the following website very confusing and complex.
https://regionaldistrict.com/media/2364 ... Glance.pdf
With the map instead of writing right on the map your day is, you have to look at the colour and then look at the legend to figure out what zone you are and what day your collection is and then look at the separate calendar to see whether it is a recycling or yard waste day. The colours on the calendar are similar so you really have to study it to grasp what day you put out either recycling vs yard waste.
I finally got it but why so complex, surely there is a simpler way to do it.
Anyone else have this problem?

[oneh2obabe]

My wife and I were checking to see what day it was for our garbage collection and whether it was recycling or yard waste.
I found the following website very confusing and complex.
https://regionaldistrict.com/media/2364 ... Glance.pdf
With the map instead of writing right on the map your day is, you have to look at the colour and then look at the legend to figure out what zone you are and what day your collection is and then look at the separate calendar to see whether it is a recycling or yard waste day. The colours on the calendar are similar so you really have to study it to grasp what day you put out either recycling vs yard waste.
I finally got it but why so complex, surely there is a simpler way to do it.
Anyone else have this problem?

Easier way is to call the waste company, give them your address and let them tell you what days for garbage and recycling apply to your area.

[Bsuds]

Easiest way is to download their app (recycle coach) and enter your address. It will give you your days and you can check it at anytime.

[oneh2obabe]

The new waste management company isn't in our area - we got to keep the old one. Garbage day is every Thursday, recycling is every 2nd Thursday (I mark it on the calendar for the full year) and yard waste is another company every Tuesday from March to November.