Deceased animals should never be disposed of with your residential garbage for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is extremely unpleasant for our sanitation staff. Regional animal shelters often offer cremation services for a nominal fee. Contact your veterinarian to discuss the best option for you.

Large appliances can be disposed of at the North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive, NV), where they will be properly decommissioned (i.e., Freon removed from fridges and freezers) and then recycled (disposal details at www.wastech.ca). If the appliances are still in working order, consider offering them to an agency who could use them, or offer them in the "free" section of your local newspaper, craigslist.org, freecycle.org or usedvancouver.com.

If you have an old, inefficient fridge that measures between 10-24 cubic feet, and is in working condition, BC Hydro will pick it up, recycle it, and give you a $30 cheque. BC Hydro ensures the fridges are recycled and disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner. For more information on the program, please visit the BC Hydro website.

For information on disposing of this material, please contact one of the following organizations:

 

• Vancouver Landfill (Delta) - 604.940.3203 or www.vancouver.ca
• Hazco - 604.214.7000 or www.hazco.com
• Newalta Corporation - 604.940.9655 or www.newalta.com

 

All household batteries are now (as of July 1, 2010) part of a return-to-retailer system for recycling, which is the most cost-effective way of dealing with this particular category of waste. To find out where to take these batteries for free on the North Shore as part of the return-to-retailer program, visit www.call2recycle.org (or call 1.888.723.1297), or contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253.

 

 

Empty beverage containers (except milk & milk substitute cartons) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities, which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Beverage containers for which you paid a deposit at purchase should be returned to any Encorp Return-it Centre:  

• Hardcover books - can be recycled at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot in the Mixed Paper bin (ask staff on-site). Hardcover books can NOT be recycled in the curbside recycling program (blue box or blue cart)
• Softcover books - can be recycled in your Yellow Bag or Mixed Paper Cart (for apartment and condo buildings).  Hardcover books can be recycled at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot (29 Riverside Drive, NV) - no cover removal required.

Many used building materials are in great shape and entirely reusable. Contact a used building supplier retailer (check your Yellow Pages, or visit the Habitat for Humanity Vancouver ReStore [t: 604.293.1898 - 2475 Douglas Road, Burnaby], or Jack's Used Building Supplies [t: 604.299.2967 - 4912 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby]) to investigate the option of selling the material. Then, of course, there is the option of selling it in one or both of our local newspapers (nsnews.com and northshoreoutlook.com), craigslist.ca, usedvancouver.com, kijiji.ca or offering it to friends and neighbours for reuse. If it's mostly scraps you're dealing with, a number of materials are completely recyclable (e.g., untreated dimensional lumber, metal flashing, aluminum siding scraps, etc.). Much of this can go to the North Shore Transfer Station for recycling. Visit wastech.ca or call BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for details.

Business/Institutional/Commercial Recycling Information:

 

• Recycling Council of BC - 604.732.9253 or www.rcbc.bc.ca
  
• Metro Vancouver Business Services - 604.451.6575 or metrovancouver.org/smartsteps
  

 

Recycling Service Providers

(the NSRP does not recommend or endorse any of these companies - they are provided for information only):

 

• Recycling Alternative (604.874.7283 or recyclingalternative.com)
• Urban Impact (604.273.0089 or urbanimpact.com)
  
• Emterra (604.929.7377 or emterra.ca)
  

 

Car Scrap Programs (Charity Donation):

A-PART Auto Wrecking  - 604.327.2277

The Kidney Car Program - 604.408.2277 or www.kidneycar.ca

Car Trade-in Program   

 

AirCare's Scrap-It Program - 1.888.655.1000 or www.scrapit.ca

To find out where to recycle your old cell phone, visit Recycle My Cell – Canada’s national recycling program for mobile devices.  Recycle My Cell links participating cell phone recycling programs together, making it easier for you to determine how and where you can dispose of your used wireless device.

Ceramic tiles are not recyclable on the North Shore but can be used for a variety of other projects, such as mosaic work on floors and furniture. If the tiles are intact and you have a large volume, consider selling them to a used building supplier retailer (see our listing for Building materials) or offering them for sale in the newspaper. Otherwise, there are a variety of community and arts groups who may be able to utilize them. Contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 to see if anyone is officially accepting ceramic tiles for recycling.

As of January 1, 2008, Blue Box recyclables (including mixed paper) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

North Americans send over 5 billion Christmas cards every year, each one of them using up resources (trees, fossil fuels, water, chemicals, inks, etc.) to manufacture, transport to retail, and mail - only to be thrown out or recycled almost immediately. Many people are now considering other options, such as making a donation to a local charity in the name of their friends and family, or sending electronic/email cards.

That said, most Christmas cards are recyclable in your Yellow Bag or Mixed Paper Cart (unless they include any metal foil or plasticized parts). You can also consider reusing the artistic part of cards received from others by cutting off the fronts and creating postcards.

Check local newspapers or our mainpage for a charity chipping event in your area in January, or until December 31, you can take your 'unadorned' (decorations removed) tree to the North Shore Transfer Station to be composted (see fees under 'Greenwaste' at wastech.ca). Alternately, Christmas trees can be put out for pick-up as part of your new year-round yard trimmings collection program (must be cut in half in 3 foot lengths and tied with cotton/hemp string or twine - no plastic string, please - and set out with your yard trimmings on your garbage & recycling collection day).

Don't just throw out those clothes! If you've purchased good quality clothing, you could re-sell it at a consignment store, list it on craigslist.org, freecycle.org, or usedvancouver.com, sell it on Ebay, take it to a local non-profit for resale, or donate it to agencies collecting clothing for overseas. The North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot maintains a Salvation Army bin at the depot site which accepts clean, used clothing (wearable and good condition, please) and clean, used, wearable accessories. Also, consider donating old sheets and towels to your local animal shelter or rescue organization, as they are always looking for these items. You can also contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for locations accepting these goods.

Contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for CD/DVD/disk recycling locations in the Lower Mainland.

Recycling of many electronics in BC is covered under an industry stewardship program that is constantly evolving.

 

To get the details of what electronics are recyclable currently, and where on the North Shore to drop them off, visit electronicsrecycling.ca. There are also a variety of agencies that will recondition your old computer for use in schools and non-profit agencies. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for an up-to-date list.

 

See 'Computer Equipment'.

 

• Up to 2 sheets: North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive)
• More than 2 sheets: New West Gypsum (38 Vulcan Street, New Westminster - 604.520.6647)

 

Cost & details: see 'Gypsum' listing at wastech.ca.

What about drywall containing asbestos?
For small or large quantities, call Metro Vancouver at 604.436.6810.

Visit www.electronicsrecyclingbc.ca for a list of which electronics are recyclable throught the BC product stewardship programs.  Alternately, you can call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.723.9253.

See 'Electronics'.

• NuLife Industries in Aldergrove - 604.857.5588 (www.nulife-ind.com)
• Happy Stan's Recycling - 604.464.0242 (www.happystan.com)
• Edmonds Recycling - 604.530.9235 (www.edmondsrecycling.com)

 

Many restaurants and grocery stores are now using the services of large-scale composting systems to deal with their food waste. Call the BC Recycling Hotline (rcbc.bc.ca or 604.732.9253) for information on providers or visit metrovancouver.org/smartsteps.

As of January 1, 2008, glass bottles & jars are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These items are fully recyclable in your Blue Box (single-family), Mixed Containers Cart (multi-family) or at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. Just be sure to rinse the container and throw away the lids.

Wine bottles purchased within British Columbia are returnable for refund at any BC Liquor store or Encorp Return-it Centre: the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Street, NV), the Lonsdale Bottle & Return-it Depot (142 West 3rd Street, NV) or the North Vancouver Bottle & Return-it Depot (310 Brooksbank Avenue, NV). For more information on operating hours and details about the program, visit the Encorp website. Alternately, you could use them for your own wine creations!

As of January 1, 2008, Blue Box recyclables (including mixed paper) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Glossy flyers go in your Yellow Bag (single family), Mixed Paper Cart (multi family), or or to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot at 29 Riverside Drive, North Vancouver, if you're heading down that way.

The single best thing to do with these materials is compost them in your backyard, using either a Garden Gourmet composter (available at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot, 29 Riverside Drive, NV) or a home-built model (download plans by clicking here). Or, in the case of grass clippings, simply leave them on the lawn. If you can't compost, utilize the services of the North Shore Transfer Station Chipping Yard at 30 Riverside Drive (minimum fees apply - see 'Greenwaste' at wastech.ca for details), or your local municipality's yard trimmings collection program, which now operates year-round (same day as your regular garbage and recycling pick-up). See our Yard Trimmings Collection page for material preparation details.

These materials are considered fill - you can drop off up to 1/2 cubic yard per day at the North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive, NV), charged at the regular disposal rate of $7.10/100 kg (minimum fees apply - see wastech.ca for details). Occasionally, Ecowaste (604.277.1410) and/or BA Blacktop (604.929.7974) will accept these materials for a fee. Alternately, you can call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 to see if they have any companies listed who are taking fill material.  Another alternative is the website www.tonsofdirt.com, where you can list your fill materials for free, in the hopes someone else might be looking for what you're looking to get rid of!

Metal hangers received from a drycleaner can often be returned to your drycleaner for reuse (just ask them). Otherwise, they are recyclable at the North Shore Transfer Station at 30 Riverside Drive, North Vancouver.  Plastic hangers are garbage, unless you can find someone who can use them.

Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or your hearing specialist.

For oil tank removal:

 

• West Vancouver Fire Prevention Office - 604.925.7375
• City of North Vancouver Fire Prevention Office - 604.980.5021
• District of North Vancouver Fire Prevention Office - 604.980.5021
• Action Oil Tanks - 604.307.7275 or actionoiltanks.com
  
• Digger Dicks Contracting - 604.986.0655 or diggerdicks.com
  
• Tri-City Tank Tech - 604.725.1515 or oiltank.ca
  
• Tanktech - 604.328.1234

   

For oil tank drop-off and disposal:

 

• Amix Salvage & Sales - 604.580.0251 or amix.ca
  

   

For furnace oil recycling:

 

• Contact the Recycling Council of BC for list of companies - 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca

 

Contact your point of purchase for helium tank disposal, or call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for the latest information.

That said, Tetrapaks (juice boxes) are not recyclable in your municipal curbside recycling program (Blue Box, Blue Carts), BUT they can be recycled (and returned for deposit refund) to the point of purchase, or any Encorp Return-it Depot, including: the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Street, NV), the Lonsdale Bottle & Return-it Depot (142 West 3rd Street, NV) or the North Vancouver Bottle & Return-it Depot (310 Brooksbank Avenue, NV). For more information on operating hours and details about the program, visit the Encorp website. Alternately, consider donating them to schools or sports clubs for fundraising.

Put it in your Yellow Bag if you live in a single-family home, your Mixed Paper Cart if you live in an apartment building, or take it in large quantities to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. Windowed envelopes and staples are OK! To have your name removed from direct mail mailing lists in Canada, visit the Canadian Marketing Association website.

Large appliances can be disposed of at the North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive, NV), where they will be properly decommissioned (i.e., Freon removed from fridges and freezers) and then recycled (disposal details at www.wastech.ca). If the appliances are still in working order, consider offering them to an agency who could use them, or offer them in the "free" section of your local newspaper, craigslist.org, freecycle.org or usedvancouver.com.

If you have an old, inefficient fridge that measures between 10-24 cubic feet, and is in working condition, BC Hydro will pick it up, recycle it, and give you a $30 cheque. BC Hydro ensures the fridges are recycled and disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner. For more information on the program, please visit the BC Hydro website.

 

 

Put them in your Yellow Bag (single family homes), the Mixed Paper cart (apartments) or, for large quantities, the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot (29 Riverside Drive, NV).

You can ensure your old mattresses stays out of the landfill and is fully recycled by visiting the folks at mattressrecycling.ca.  This North Shore company deconstructs old mattresses into their component parts and ensures about 90% of the material is recycled responsibly.  Good quality mattresses are donated to local charitable organizations where appropriate.  Find out more at www.mattressrecycling.ca.

Your doctor or pharmacy should be able to assist you with the most reasonable way to recycle or dispose of medical equipment. Otherwise, contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or online at www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Milk, soy milk, rice milk and other 'milk-substitute' cartons are what we call "polycoat" containers, meaning they are constructed from a variety of materials adhered together in layers, making them very difficult to recycle. They are not recyclable in the Blue Box or Blue Cart program, but you can take your dairy, soy and rice milk containers in for recycling at Encorp Return-it Depots. They are not part of the refund program (i.e., you won't get a deposit refund, as there are no deposits on the containers), but they will be recycled. Please go to www.encorp.ca or call 604.732.9253 for more information.

Return-it Depots on the North Shore are: Lonsdale Bottle & Return-It Depot (142 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver), North Vancouver Bottle & Return-It-Depot (310 Brooksbank Avenue, North Vancouver), or the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Street, North Vancouver). Also, you can consider buying milk in returnable, refillable glass bottles - just check with your grocer to see if they carry milk in this format.

Blue Box recyclables (including mixed paper) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Glossy flyers and windowed envelopes should be recycled in your Yellow Bag (single family homes), Mixed Paper Cart (apartments) or take to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot.

Motor oil, oil filters and empty oil bottles are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These items are recyclable at a variety of North Shore locations - visit usedoilrecycling.com or call 1.800.667.4321 for drop-off locations and details. Alternately, you can contact the Recycling Council of BC at 604.732.9253. or visit them online at www.rcbc.bc.ca .

Motor oil, oil filters and empty oil bottles are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities, which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These items are recyclable at a variety of North Shore locations - visit usedoilrecycling.com or call 1.800.667.4321 for drop-off locations and details. Alternately, you can contact the Recycling Council of BC at 604.732.9253 or visit them online at www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Commercial quantities must be handled by a contractor. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for an up-to-date listing.

Motor oil, oil filters and empty oil bottles are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These items are recyclable at a variety of North Shore locations - visit usedoilrecycling.com or call 1.800.667.4321 for drop-off locations and details. Alternately, you can contact the Recycling Council of BC at 604.732.9253 or visit them online at www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Commercial quantities must be handled by a contractor. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for an up-to-date listing.

Blue Box recyclables (including newspaper & newspaper inserts and flyers) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Include both the newspaper and the inserts that came with it, even if they don't look like newsprint (they are). Put in your Blue Bag (single-family), Newspaper Cart (apartments) or take to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot.

Blue Box recyclables (including newspaper & newspaper inserts and flyers) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Newspapers and the flyers that come with them belong in your Blue Bag (single-family) or Newspaper Cart (apartments). You can also take newspapers in large quantities to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot (29 Riverside Drive, NV).

Blue Box recyclables (including office paper) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

For small 'home-office' volumes, put in your Yellow Bag (single-family), Mixed Paper Cart (apartments) or take to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. For larger volumes, consider arranging for a recycling service provider to pick up your recyclable paper, as clean office paper has been banned from going to the landfill or the waste-to-energy facility for a number of years. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca for a complete listing of service providers.

Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253, or go to their website at www.rcbc.bc.ca - they maintain the most up-to-date recycling resource list in the province and can assist or at the very least direct you to a party who can help.

Paint and solvents are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

The North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive, NV) Product Care Depot is a Household Hazardous Waste drop-off facility for residents of the North Shore. Visit productcare.org or call 604.732.9253 for program details and lists of accepted materials.

 

NEW:  Leftover paint can now also be dropped off at the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Avenue, North Vancouver - visit our online facility map for location information).

Wooden pallets are often returnable to the originator of the material. If not, they can be recycled at the North Shore Transfer Station Chipping Yard (30 Riverside Drive, NV).  Regular disposal fees of $5.60 per 100 kg apply (click here for disposal fee rates).  Call 604.929.5471 for information.

This is definitely not recyclable - please throw it in the garbage or compost it in your backyard composter.

Blue Box recyclables (including mixed paper) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Paper packaging (not plastic-coated) is recyclable in your Yellow Bag (single family), Mixed Paper Cart (apartments), or at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. If you are unsure about the material you would like to recycle, call us at 604.984.9730 to confirm.

Pesticides, paint, solvents, flammable liquids, and gasoline are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

It's best to avoid purchasing these materials in the first place. There is a growing volume of non-harmful alternatives that work just as well but are fairly benign (visit GardenSmart for more information about gardening without pesticides). If you do find yourself in a situation where you have these items in your possession, many of them can be taken to the North Shore Transfer Station (visit productcare.org or call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 for a list of acceptable items). Whatever you do, never dispose of household hazardous waste (HHW) in storm drains or down the sink - storm drains lead directly to streams and fish habitat and many of these substances are extremely corrosive to municipal sewage infrastructure, which costs us all in the long run.

Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253, or visit their website at www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Blue Box recyclables (including clean pizza boxes) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Pizza boxes are recyclable in your Yellow Bag (single-family) or Mixed Paper Cart (apartments), so long as there is no food residue attached (a bit of oil in the bottom is fine - just make sure there is no cheese, crusts, crumbs, etc.)! But, as always, if in doubt, keep it out...

Blue Box recyclables (including plastic containers #1, #2, #4 and #5) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These are the pots that plants come in when you purchase them from the nursery or plant store. Ask your nursery if they will take them back - some do, but most do not. Most plant pots are made from either #4 or #5 plastic, which are both recyclable in the Blue Box (single-family) or Mixed Container Cart (apartments) program. The only 'rules' are that the pots must be free of dirt, and they must be 1 gallon (approximately 5 litres) in size or smaller (usually this is listed on the plant label). Remember, we can only recycle plastic pots that have a #1, #2, #4 or #5 (within a triangle symbol) stamped on the bottom. Clean plant pots of the plastic types outlined above and larger than 1 gallon (up to 20 litres in size) can be recycled in the Plastics bin at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot.

Plastic bags of any kind are not recyclable through the municipal recycling programs (Blue Box, Blue Carts or North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot) on the North Shore - currently we don't see that the local market for this material is strong enough to warrant collecting it curbside (it's our goal to only collect materials with strong local markets, not markets where we need to ship materials overseas for recycling - this makes no sense from an environmental/energy use perspective). Your best options are to reuse them or, better yet, don't collect them in the first place. A growing number of residents are choosing to take responsibility by using their own reuseable bag/basket for shopping (or not using a bag at all for small items). That said, some large retailers do take back their own plastic shopping sacs for recycling (see www.myplasticbags.ca) - while this makes little sense from an environmental perspective, it IS an option.  Finally, you can visit Pacific Mobile Depots for information on their once-per-month fee-based recycling drop-off event (www.pacificmobiledepots.com).

Blue Box recyclables (including rigid plastics numbered 1, 2, 4 and 5) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

These materials are recyclable in our municipal recycling program - just check the bottom of the container for the correct recycling number, rinse, squish if possible and throw the lid away (unless it's a dairy container - then the lid is always recyclable), then place in your Blue Box (single-family) or Mixed Containers Cart (apartments). If they are beverage containers, consider returning them for deposit refund either at the point of purchase or an Encorp Return-it Depot: Lonsdale Bottle & Return-It Depot (142 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver), North Vancouver Bottle & Return-It-Depot (310 Brooksbank Avenue, North Vancouver), Changes Stores (Save-on Foods), or the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Street, North Vancouver). Click here for more information on the beverage container recycling program in BC. General questions about plastics recycling on the North Shore? Call the NSRP at 604.984.9730.

Plastic toys are not recyclable in the municipal recycling program (Blue Box or North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot) as they are not bottles or rigid containers and often they are made from a mix of plastics (including some that are linked to endocrine disruption and other health maladies, as we've seen in numerous recent studies), which automatically makes them non-recyclable. Try repairing the toy, passing it on to another child, or buy high quality unpainted wooden toys instead (which can be passed along to other children for years, and technically be chipped and composted at the end of their life). Some local sources include www.naturalpod.com.

Medications/pharmaceuticals (including many 'natural' health products such as supplements and vitamins) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Most pharmacies are now part of the BC Medications Return program. This program enables customers to return their unused prescriptions (as well as non-prescription medications, supplements, vitamins, etc.) back to the pharmacy for safe disposal at no cost to the resident. This program does not accept sharps or syringes. Call your local pharmacy ahead of time to ensure they are participating in the program or visit medicationsreturn.ca. If you are a pharmacy wanting to recycle prescription bottles and containers, contact Pharm-Ecological Services Co. at www.pharm-ecological.ca.

Refillable tanks:

• North Shore Transfer Station (604.929.5471 or wastech.ca)

Single-use (disposable) tanks (completely empty - maximum 2 units):

• Vancouver Transfer Station - 604.873.7000 - will accept maximum of 2, completely empty, disposable propane tanks (Note: this number is for the City of Vancouver call centre - no direct line to solid waste department available).

Single-use (disposable) tanks, not empty and no limit (call contacts below for details):

• Pacific Propane Container Recycling (Surrey) - 604.580.1688
• Happy Stan's (Port Coquitlam) - 604.464.0242

For further information/options:

Recycling Council of British Columbia - 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca

This material is not recyclable in the curbside program or at the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca for possible recycling or reuse option or visit Pacific Mobile Depots for information on their once-per-month fee-based recycling drop-off event (www.pacificmobiledepots.com).

Most of these items can be recycled at the North Shore Transfer Station in their metal drop-off area. The North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot maintains bins for clean food-grade aluminum (foil plates and roasting pans, rinsed aluminum foil, cat food tins, etc.) and steel (cans) only. Call the NSRP at 604.984.9730 for details about specific materials.  These items can not go in your Blue Box.

Visit Urban Wood Waste Recyclers for information on recycling these materials.

Residents who shred their own paper will either need to bring this down to the Recycling Drop-off Depot at 29 Riverside Drive, or they will have to place it in a small paper bag or cereal/cracker box and place that inside the yellow bag, or Mixed Paper bin.  Shredded paper will NOT be accepted in plastic bags at the curbside or in the carts, and must be contained so as not to blow all over when service is done.  Any questions, please call the North Shore Recycling office at 604.984.9730.

For small appliances still in working order, consider donating them to a local service agency for resale, or listing them at craigslist.org, freecycle.org, usedvancouver.com, kijiji.ca, Ebay or any of the other website listing locations. For small appliances no longer in working order, consider having them repaired. Well-made appliances will last decades if properly cared for. If they're definitely at the end of their life, and you need to replace them, consider asking the store you buy the new appliance in, if they will recycle the old one for you.  Also, if they are made of mainly metal, you can recycle them in the scrap metal drop-off area at the North Shore Transfer Station. Plastic appliances are not recyclable and therefore must be disposed of in the garbage, or visit Pacific Mobile Depots for information on their once-per-month fee-based recycling drop-off event (www.pacificmobiledepots.com).

Smoke detectors are labelled as containing small amounts of radioactive materials.  According to the BC Recycling Hotline (604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca), they are to be wrapped in newspaper and disposed of as garbage.  They say that the newsprint is enough to stop the alpha waves produced by these products.

Check the Yellow Pages for the sports swap business near you. These companies specialize in reselling pre-owned sporting goods at great prices, often on consignment, but will sometimes buy outright. Otherwise, there is craigslist.org, freecycle.org, usedvancouver.com, kijiji.ca, Ebay and a variety of other websites, as well as our two community papers, the North Shore News and the North Shore Outlook.

Styrofoam (polystyrene) is not recyclable in the North Shore's municipal recycling programs (Blue Box or Recycling Drop-off Depot). It's expensive to ship and has very little value at this point, though it is accepted under some private recycling programs (call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca for a list of locations), or visit Pacific Mobile Depots for information on their once-per-month fee based recycling drop-off event (www.pacificmobiledepots.com).

Try to avoid styrofoam altogether by requesting alternative packaging for electronics (many companies are now packaging their goods in molded corrugated cardboard, which is fully and easily recyclable locally, or using chips made from cornstarch which disappear when submerged in water). It is especially important not to buy food packaged with Styrofoam (for health reasons). For large volumes, call the Recycling Council of BC's Materials Exchange Program at 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca.

Never put sharps in the garbage - they're a severe hazard to our crews. Contact your medical professional (doctor, specialist, pharmacist) regarding the proper disposal of syringes, or alternatively, the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253.

Blue Box recyclables (including phone books) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

For small volumes, put in your Yellow Bag (single-family) or Mixed Paper Cart (apartments). For larger volumes, take them to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot and add them to the mixed paper bin.

Televisions are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Television sets not in working order can be repaired at many local electronics repair shops. Support your local businesses! If you must dispose of your television, you can now Return-it for recycling, provided the tube is not broken. BC now has a province-wide electronics recycling/industry product stewardship program that allows residents to recycle televisions, at no cost (the cost of the program is covered by a recycling fee paid at the time of purchase). Older televisions are also included in the program. For details about exactly what electronics are recyclable in this program, and where on the North Shore to drop them off, visit electronicsrecycling.ca or contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or visit www.rcbc.bc.ca.

Broken Televisions: Currently, the provincial program does not include televisions with broken tubes, as they pose a risk to workers due to hazardous materials contained inside them. Similarly, the North Shore Transfer Station will not accept them as garbage, because they consider them to be hazardous waste as well.  There are two locations in the Lower Mainland that will accept them from residents for no charge on behalf of the provincial program: Ralph's Used Parts, Surrey, 604.580.5479 and Richmond, 604.325.8323 - call for details.

Alternately, you can contact Tyler at Encorp, 604.473.2400 or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for possible other options for damaged televisions.

'Tetrapak' packaging is used for packaging a variety of different foods.  Check below to see where your Tetrapak can be recycled:

 

Beverages (excluding milk/milk substitutes) - If your Tetrapak held a ready-to-drink beverage, it can be recycled (and deposit refunded) at a Return-it Depot or at some points-of-purchase (grocery stores, etc.).

 

Beverages (Milk/Milk Substitutes) - These containers are not part of the provincial beverage container deposit system, but the Return-it Depots will take them back for recycling (Note:  You will receive no deposit refund for milk/milk substitute containers, as no deposit is paid at the time of purchase). Click here to find out more about milk container recycling .

 

Soups, etc. -  If your empty Tetrapak container contained soup or any substance other than ready to drink beverages or milk, they can either be recycled via Pacific Mobile Depot's mobile recycling depot, open the 3rd Saturday of every month at the corner of 3rd Street and Chesterfield Avenue in North Vancouver (click here for program information, fees, and hours ) or disposed of in the garbage (they are not a banned-from-disposal item).

Contact the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or onine at www.rcbc.bc.ca for possible options. For old, clean towels and sheets, consider offering them to an animal shelter, as they are always looking for such items (you'll find your local shelter through an online search, or at cnv.org, dnv.org or westvancouver.ca.

Thermostats and thermometers containing mercury are now part of an industry stewardship program.  Visit the Switch the Stat program website at www.switchthestat.ca for details about what thermostats are included in the program.  Other options are:

• Andrew Sheret Ltd. - Burnaby - 604.521.0788
• Andrew Sheret Ltd. - Vancouver - 604.874.2351
• John Sherman Agencies Ltd. - 604.254.9622 or johnsherman.com

Blue Box recyclables (including tin cans) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Tin or bi-metal food cans must be placed in your Blue Box (single family) or Mixed Containers Cart (apartments) or taken to the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot for recycling - just rinse, remove the labels and flatten.

Vehicle tires were banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled.  For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

You are now able to return your tires for recycling at a variety of retail locations on the North Shore. Tire Stewardship BC is a not-for-profit organization formed to manage the scrap tire recycling program on behalf of tire retailers in the province. To find out which retailers are accepting old tires for recycling, call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or visit www.tirestewardshipbc.ca.

Many toilets/sinks/tubs from renovations are in great shape and entirely reusable. Contact a used building supplier retailer (check your Yellow Pages, or visit the Habitat for Humanity Vancouver ReStore [t: 604.293.1898 - 2475 Douglas Road, Burnaby], or Jack's Used Building Supplies [t: 604.299.2967 - 4912 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby]) to investigate the option of selling the material. Then, of course, there is the option of selling it in one or both of our local newspapers (nsnews.com and northshoreoutlook.com), craigslist.ca, usedvancouver.com, kijiji.ca or offering it to friends and neighbours for reuse.

If you are replacing your old 13L (or greater) flush model toilet, with a new low-flow 6L toilet, you can apply for the North Shore's Toilet Replacement Rebate Program.

Alternately, for disposal as garbage you can take these items to the North Shore Transfer Station at 30 Riverside Drive, NV (regular disposal rate of $7.10 per 100 kg applies - $20 minimum charge during peak hours [10 am to 2 pm] and $10 minimum charge the rest of the time).

Toner cartridges for printers and photocopies can be refilled for about half the cost of a new cartridge and the quality is just as good. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or visit www.rcbc.bc.ca for a list of cartridge rebuilders and recyclers in your area.

There are actually ways of transforming turf, (lawn/grass), into a garden without ripping out the turf! Download the GardenSmart 7 Simple Steps to a Great Mulch, which can help you transform a lawn into virtually any other kind of garden space with little effort and by using materials from around your neighbourhood - and no back breaking work!

Alternately, there's a new initiative at www.tonsofdirt.com, whereby you can list fill material you'd like to get rid of to match with those who are looking for fill material.

If you must dispose of your turf, you can drop-off up to 1/2 cubic yard per day at the North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive, NV), charged at the regular disposal rate of $7.10/100 kg (minimum fees apply - see wastech.ca for details).  As well, you can call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or rcbc.bc.ca to see if they have any companies listed who are accepting fill material.

Video tapes are not recyclable in the municipal program, but can be reused or passed on to others once you are finished with them. Otherwise, they are acceptable in your regular garbage. Alternately, there may be companies who can recycle these, though usually for a fee. Call the BC Recycling Hotline at 604.732.9253 or visit www.rcbc.bc.ca for details.

Waxed paper is not recyclable due to the wax coating.  Please place it in your regular garbage.

Empty beverage containers (except milk & milk substitute cartons) are banned from disposal (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Wine bottles purchased within British Columbia are returnable for refund at any BC Liquor store or Encorp Return-it Centre: the North Shore Bottle Depot (235 Donaghy Street, NV), the Lonsdale Bottle & Return-it Depot (142 West 3rd Street, NV) or the North Vancouver Bottle & Return-it Depot (310 Brooksbank Avenue, NV). For more information on operating hours and details about the program, visit the Encorp website.

Otherwise, you can recycle them in your Blue Box (single-family) or Mixed Container Cart (apartments), though we do discourage this, particularly for single-family neighbourhoods, as it creates problems with theft of Blue Boxes (costly for all of us and a pain for you), and litter/mess caused by individuals going through through Blue Boxes on collection days.

Consider reuse first - can you pass the material on to someone else who may be able to use it? If not, residents can recycle clean wood (untreated, unpainted lumber, pallets, etc.) at the North Shore Transfer Station Chipping Yard at 30 Riverside Drive (regular disposal rate of $5.60 per 100 kg applies). Painted or treated wood is acceptable as regular waste ($7.10 per 100 kg) at the regular garbage area of the Transfer Station. Just let the Transfer Station staff know what kind of material you have. Call 604.929.5471 for information or visit the Wastech website.

Yard trimmings were banned (as garbage) at Metro Vancouver solid waste facilities... which includes your curbside collected garbage. They must now be recycled. For more information on the Metro Vancouver material disposal bans, click here to visit their website.

Yard trimmings, such as prunings, grass clippings, weeds, etc. are all compostable in your backyard compost bin. It can also be set out for recycling with your year-round curbside yard trimmings program, or taken to the North Shore Transfer Station (30 Riverside Drive) for composting (discounted drop-off rate of $5.60 per 100 kg applies - click here for disposal fee rates).