March 6, 2025
Graham Casselman
Waste Reduction Coordinator, Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD)
Our guest speaker was Graham Casselman, who spoke to us about Recycle BC in a presentation entitled “The State of Regional Recycling.” He gave us a wealth of information about what happens to all the things we put in the recycling bins here in BC.
Recycle BC is the overarching Provincial organization responsible for recycling throughout BC, so what is collected is the same throughout the province.
Two types of collection: curbside and depot.
Most people in this area use a depot, such as Bill’s Bottle Depot in Salmon Arm. Curbside can’t take some things (like glass).
At the depot, things go into “mega bags” to be put on trucks and shipped to the lower mainland (Richmond and New Westminster Material Recovery Facilities). Graham took a tour and said they have pretty state-of the art technology. But they still need humans to pick out things that shouldn’t be there.
What happens at the recovery facilities:
1. Material is sorted from homes and depots (mostly done by machine).
2. Material is baled with similar materials.
3. Bales are sent to various places (many right here in BC) to be recycled.
What happens to the materials we put in the recycling bins:
Aluminum containers become steel containers, automotive parts, new packaging
Paper packaging, cardboard, cartons become paper cups & lower grade paper (egg cartons, cardboard boxes)
Foam packaging become crown molding, picture frames
Flexible plastics & plastic containers go to a place in BC that reduces them to pellets and ship most of it elsewhere to be made into new material
Glass bottles and jars are shipped to places in BC to be repurposed (new bottles, sandblast material, insulation, etc.)
Some interesting things we learned:
Producers of the materials pay for the recycling program.
252,507 tonnes produced (as reported by stewards); 201,033 tonnes collected.
No commercial recycling program in BC right now.
Can’t recycle squeeze tubes (like toothpaste) yet but working on it.
No food waste collection in CSRD right now but hopefully will be included in the next 10-year plan (due to be reviewed this summer). Some places do have curbside pick-up of compost (e.g. Salmon Arm), and yard waste can be taken to landfills.
Compost sold at Skimikin is made from yard & garden waste.
A few important things to remember:
The “3 R’s” are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. #1 is REDUCE!!
Hazardous wastes don’t go in the regular recycling bins. (E.g. propane bottles, needles).
Not accepted: squeeze tubes, plastic lined paper (padded envelopes), plastic strapping, 6-pack rings, biodegradable materials, PVC vinyl, polyurethane foam
“Wish Cycling” – to put non-recyclable items in the recycling bin with the hope that they will be recycled. Better to put in the garbage, as it could contaminate a batch.
Graham Casselman, Waste Reduction Coordinator
250-833-5936