The holiday season is in full-swing and, soon, it will be time to unwrap all those Christmas gifts.
In Port Coquitlam, residents are getting a holiday recycling pick up to help them deal with all the extra cardboard, food packages and gift wrap.
The city's recycling trucks will visit all five collection zones over the course of Dec. 26 and 27, which would typically be non-collection days due to statutory holidays.
Recycling is picked up biweekly in Port Coquitlam, which sometimes left households with full blue carts over the holidays, depending on their pickup days.
The additional pickup will take place:
- Dec. 26
- Zones 3, 4 and part of Zone 5 (Langan Street and streets to the north)
- Dec. 27
- Zones 1, 2 and the rest of Zone 5 (south of Langan Street)
Download the free PoCo Sort and Report app for more information. Details are also posted on the collection schedule and zone map page.
If residents find they need additional recycling capacity on a regular basis, they can upgrade from a 240 litre cart to a 360 litre cart for $10 per year, or obtain an additional 240-litre or 360-litre cart for an annual fee of $20 or $30 respectively.
Contact 604-927-5496 or email [email protected] for more information.
Don't 'wish-cycle' stuff that can't be recycled
The extra holiday pickup program dovetails with the city’s campaign to reduce the mis-sorted waste and soiled recyclables placed in blue carts.
Residents are urged not to "wishcycle" – that is, place items in their blue cart when they are not sure if or where they can be recycled.
Wishcycling results in more waste going to the landfill, according to the city.
Better sorting will also help Port Coquitlam avoid fines from Recycle BC of $5,000 per load of material, for up to $120,000 per year, which would ultimately be passed on to taxpayers.
The most common items incorrectly placed into blue recycling carts are:
- Soft and flexible plastics, and overwrap
- Styrofoam
- Hard plastics such as Tupperware, plastic toys, tarps and laundry hampers
- Clothing and shoes
- Hard and soft-cover books
- Bags of mixed garbage
- Scrap metal such as auto parts, chains, pots and pans, and hardware
- Electronics such as cell phones, computers, small appliances and light strings
It's also important that recyclables are clean and dry.
As carts are collected and their contents mingled together, food residue or liquid left in containers will contaminate large quantities of clean recyclables — all of which will then be sent to the landfill.
For more information, you can visit the City of Port Coquitlam's website.
