Together, We Make a Difference

As part of our strata community in North Vancouver, we all share a responsibility to manage waste and recycling in a way that’s respectful, to each other, to the city, and to the environment. We’re lucky to live in an area with excellent recycling services, but those services work best when we all do our part.

Here’s a friendly refresher, and a few reminders, about how recycling works around here, how our strata participates, and how YOU can help make the system run smoothly.

Simple Steps We Can Take

1. Read the bin labels before tossing anything. The bins have markings like “Paper,” “Containers,” “Glass,” etc.

2. Clean and rinse containers — no food residue.

3. Flatten and cut large cardboard to fit properly (20″ × 20″ or ~50 cm × 50 cm).

4. Bag shredded paper before recycling it.

5. Take “drop-off only” items yourself to the transfer station or depot.

6. Ask questions — if you’re unsure whether something belongs in the bin, search the Recycle Wizard

How Recycling Works on the North Shore

We pay to have the large recycling bins picked up:

• Paper & Cardboard: Newspapers, magazines, envelopes, shredded paper (if bagged), cardboard boxes.

• Containers: Plastic bottles, jars, jugs; metal cans; foil; clean rigid plastic containers;

Volunteers take care of:

• Small bins: Foam packaging, flexible plastic packaging (wrappers, overwraps, chip bags), small electronics, and glass, and returnables.

Don’t toss oversized or hazardous items (like propane tanks, large appliances) into the bins.  It’s your responsibility to return those items to the recycling depot.

If you ever wonder whether something’s recyclable under RecycleBC, their online Recycle Wizard or full materials list is a great resource.

What Our Strata Does — And What Volunteers Do

• Strata provides the recycling bins (for cardboard, containers, etc.) and the scheduled pick-ups for those bins.

• Volunteers (residents like you!) handle the rest — transporting other small recyclable items to the local transfer station or depots.

This volunteer effort is a huge act of generosity. It keeps our building neater, helps with recycling that the regular collection doesn’t handle, and supports our green goals. But that generosity isn’t limitless. We can’t rely on volunteers indefinitely to clean up misuse.

So please: don’t abuse this system. Use the bins properly. Follow the guidelines. If it doesn’t belong in the bin, don’t put it there and expect someone else to sort it out.

What Not to Do — Common Missteps to Avoid

Here are some “no-go” items that should never go into our recycling bins, or on the floor:

• Propane cylinders, compressed gas cylinders, paint, motor oil, or any container with hazardous material labels.

• Large appliances, electronics, furniture, scrap metal, or oversized materials.

• Textiles, clothing, shoes (unless there’s a special textile recycling program).

It’s your responsibility to return these items to the recycling depot.

Why It Matters

• Volunteer time is limited. They should not have to sort through loads of incorrect items or haul away things that weren’t supposed to go in the bins.

• We all share the burden. When everyone does their part, the system runs smoothly and fairly.

We’re lucky to live in a city, and have volunteers, that support recycling. But it only works when we’re all responsible and respectful of the system, and of the volunteer efforts that go above and beyond.

Let’s all pitch in, follow the rules, and keep our strata clean and green.

Useful links:

Acceptable items (at the recycling depot): https://recyclebc.ca/where-can-i-recycle/home-collection/north-vancouver/#accepted

Drop off locations: https://recyclebc.ca/where-can-i-recycle/home-collection/north-vancouver/

Recycle wizard: https://recyclebc.ca/what-can-i-recycle/