Contamination Remediation Plan

Recycle BC is a non-profit organization that is responsible for recycling of residential Packaging and Printed Paper in British Columbia. Municipalities like Abbotsford participate in this recycling program and receive funds to collect these materials on behalf of Recycle BC. This keeps recycling affordable for residents and ensures more materials get recycled! However, when contamination rates grow, Recycle BC can’t properly sort the material, which means not as much of it can be used by manufacturers who turn our recycling into new items. To meet the requirements of Recycle BC, continue participating in the recycling program, and avoid fines for contamination we need everyone to do their part to recycle properly. 

Recycle BC has identified that the City has an overall contamination rate of 14.39% based on audits completed May 2021 – August 2022. This is an unacceptable level of contamination within the Recycle BC program and the City is required to take various actions to track and reduce contamination.

For the City to successfully reduce its recycling contamination rate, and to ensure the curbside recycling program remains affordable and sustainable, all residents must do their part to recycle correctly.

Education:

To help achieve this, the City is offering tips and enhanced service to teach residents how to properly sort and prepare items for recycling. City staff and recycling ambassadors are available to help residents gain a better understanding of what goes in their curbside recycling, compost and garbage carts and what items can be dropped off for recycling or disposal and how to properly distinguish between commonly mis-sorted items. Educational information will also be provided in several ways including the curbside collection calendar, utility notices, social media and more!

Monitoring and Enforcement:

Similar to previous years City staff will be assigned to pre-screen carts on collection day before the collector truck arrives. If contamination is observed, the city worker will place a sticker indicating that the cart contains items that are not permitted. One sticker includes a list of several different items, but the workers will indicate what’s applicable. There is also a phone number and email address listed to reach out to for more information. Carts with significant contamination or previous warnings may be rolled back and not collected until contamination is removed. Tickets under the City’s Solid Waste Management Bylaw may also be applied. 

The truck operators will also be keeping a close eye on recycle loads. If contamination is observed when your cart is emptied the City will send you a notification to remind you of recycling requirements and direct you to more resources. 
The City’s friendly recycling staff are here to help. If you receive a contamination notice or your recycling is left behind but you’re not sure what was mis-sorted, contact the City directly so we can walk your through the sorting process. Contact the Solid Waste and Environmental Coordinator at 604-853-2281 ext. 5582 or by email at sortyourwaste@abbotsford.ca.

There are many key benefits of recycling including diverting waste from landfills, conserving resources, saving energy, supporting a green economy and contributing to a healthy community. Unfortunately when unacceptable materials are put in the blue cart they cannot be recycled and in some cases can also contaminate the rest of the recycling load – which means that the acceptable material may also end up at the landfill.
Keeping our contamination levels low also ensures that Abbotsford can continue to participate in the Recycle BC program which offers financial incentives (that help keep recycling service affordable) and ensures that materials collected are sent to end markets where they will be recycled responsibly.  

Recycling and Waste Sorting Tips:

1. Curbside recycling is for residential printed paper and packaging. If your material is NOT paper or packaging it is not  allowed in your recycling bin! Most printed paper and packaging can be placed in your recycling cart.
2. Certain packaging is incompatible with curbside recycling and must be taken to a recycling depot:
   1. Glass
   2. Plastic bags and overwrap

• Ensure recyclables are empty, clean and dry.  Items don’t need to be spotless, a quick rinse is all you need!  This will  help reduce pests, odours and mess, and results in more material being recycled.
• Keep items soiled with food, grease and liquids out of curbside recycling.  Paper items that are soiled can be placed in  your green compost cart.
• Materials not accepted in curbside recycling may be accepted for drop off at a recycling depot or other location in the  City as part of various Product Stewardship programs. The City’s Residential Recycling Drop-Off Handbook provides  information on how recycling is set up in our community and province.  A list of local recycling depots is available on  the City’s website and additional drop off locations can be found by searching your material in the Waste Wizard.
• Visit What Goes Where | City of Abbotsford for more recycling tips as well as tips on reducing your overall household  waste!