City of Kamloops
ASK THE EXPERTS
The City’s Civic Operations Department receives many different questions on the various services we provide. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and their answers.
Does the City’s Recycling Program Actually Exist? I have heard that recycling ends up in landfills (or worse) overseas. How much of the City’s recycling actually gets recycled? The City is part of the provincial Recycle BC program, a non-profit agency that oversees collection, processing (sorting), and sale of material to end markets. Over 90% of material collected through the program is managed by recycling; 3% of material is not recyclable (flexible plastics) and is sold as engineered fuel. The rest of the material cannot be recycled.
Marcia Dick, Solid Waste Services Analyst
What happens to my recycling? Where does it go after I put it in my recycling cart? City trucks collect recycling from residents and deliver the materials to a sorting facility. Material is sorted and baled into commodities like metals, plastics, cartons, cardboard, and mixed paper, which is sold to end markets. Many of these markets are right here is BC—98% of plastics are recycled at a facility in the Lower Mainland. Metals are recycled in North America. Some paper is recycled in North America, but a lot of the end markets for paper are overseas.
It seems like I can’t put anything in my recycling cart. Soft plastics, glass, and foam packaging all have to go to a recycling depot. What’s the point of a recycling program if I can’t put anything in it? The Recycle BC program is larger than other recycling programs in Canada, and the list of accepted materials is consistent across the province. While some communities have separate glass collection (the City is currently investigating glass collection as well), no other communities collect soft plastics or foam at the curb—these materials can only be effectively recycled at depots. See the complete list of accepted items at RecycleBC.ca/What-Can-I-Recycle.
What is (household) hazardous waste? Can I throw hazardous household waste in the garbage if the hazardous container the waste was in is empty? Many common household items contain hazardous substances that are dangerous if not properly managed. Items can be hazardous for many reasons—they can contain poisonous or toxic substances; they can react, explode, or catch fire easily; or they can be sharp objects that can cut or injure workers. Even when containers for hazardous substances are empty, they contain residual material that can catch fire or react with other material. When these reactions take place at landfills and recycling facilities, the outcomes can be very serious—there is a lot of materials in these facilities that can catch fire—and landfill fires are extremely difficult to manage.
What are the most common hazardous items? How do I get rid of them? Batteries are one of the most common and dangerous items found in households, especially the rechargeable type (lithium) as the material can react with water and other metals and cause fires. Lithium batteries are found in an increasing number of household products, the most common being hand-held power tools, vape pens/e-cigarettes, laptops, cell phones, and hearing aids. Batteries are the leading cause of fires in recycling facilities, but thankfully, they are also easy to recycle. Many retailers and workplaces have battery recycling bins. Tip: lithium batteries must be protected by placing them in clear bags (available at battery collection points) or wrapping them with tape. Search the Waste Wise Kamloops app to find your nearest battery recycling location.
What are some other common hazardous items I should be aware of, and what should I do with them? Flammable liquids must be safely recycled because they can release gases that will catch on fire/ignite or explode and act as a projectile. Even residual amounts of the following products can give off vapours that may ignite and cause fires or explosions: • compressed gas containers for: - propane (camping stoves) - helium (balloons) - carbon dioxide (Soda Stream)
• flammable liquids like: - lighter fluid - paint and paint products - fuels (kerosene, methanol, diesel)
Use the Waste Wise Kamloops app to learn how to properly dispose of these items.
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