Eye-catching recycling bins are appearing at condos and apartment buildings in Vancouver, with the aim to keep so-called flexible plastics out of landfills. Pink bin collection officially begins in the city, for waste like candy wrappers, produce bags and Ziplocs. Flexible plastics were previously accepted at recycling depots, but now all apartments and condos in Vancouver that use Recycle BC for waste disposal will have a bin at home, according to the non-profit, which says about 4,500 pink carts are being delivered.
âWhat are flexible plastics? Theyâre your plastics that can be folded or crinkled, and these are now accepted and recycled in condo buildings in the city of Vancouver,â Recycle BC executive director Sam Baker said, in a video distributed to media. âSo bundle them up, bring them down to your recycling room, chuck them in the bin, and weâll make sure they get recycled.â
He said flexible plastics are sent to a facility in Metro Vancouver where they are turned into pellets that can be used to make new products like packaging, pails, plant pots and garbage cans. âOur goal through all of this is to make recycling more convenient for residents. Resident participation is essential for the success of this,â Baker said, adding that the non-profit recycles more than 90 per cent of the plastics it collects and 99 per cent of that is processed in Metro Vancouver.