Bumps in the road as Maple Ridge transitions to new recycling program

In a Maple Ridge community Facebook group, a number of people have raised concerns about the city’s recent transition to a new recycling provider.

Recycle BC, the new provider, requires residents to separate flexible plastics from rigid, a slightly different pickup schedule, and has an additional pickup truck.

“Not impressed,” one person posted. Some were confused about the new pickup schedule and another commenter lamented about having to put soft plastics into a larger plastic bag, when stores don’t hand them out anymore. A couple questioned having a second truck to pick up plastics. “How is that more efficient or greener?”

Maple Ridge transitioned its recycling services from the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society to Recycle BC, starting on January 1 of this year.

“I think we had some challenges because of our launch timing,” said Lyndsey Chauhan, the VP of Program Engagement for Recycle BC.

People were busy with the holidays, and it’s a time when people tend to create more waste than normal, she said. The Canada Post strike also made it more challenging for Recycle BC to communicate directly with residents ahead of time, Chauhan added. 

What are the changes?

Previously, all the plastics went into the red/pink box. 

Now, the red/pink box is for flexible plastics only, while rigid plastics go into the blue box with metal containers, cartons, and paper cups.

Flexible plastics include plastic bags, overwrap, zipper lock stand up pouches, crinkly wrappers, and plastic net bags. That covers items like bread bags, the wrap around a pop flat, chip bags, granola bar wrappers, plastic nets fruits like avocados or oranges come in, or bubble wrap.

Chauhan suggested people keep it organized with the “bag in bag method,” taking something like a bread bag and using it to collect all the other flexible plastics.

This way of sorting aligns with Maple Ridge’s recycling with the province-wide program that Recycle BC runs, she said. It also reduces contamination and makes recycling more efficient.

They want to collect the flexible plastics segregated from regular plastics because it’s managed differently on the container sorting line.

“It causes challenges when it’s mixed in with other containers. So we want to collect that separated to really support the recycling effectiveness of it,” she said.

What’s the pick up schedule?

The blue box (mixed container recycling), the yellow bag (paper recycling) and the glass are still collected weekly. 

The red box (flexible plastics) is collected bi-weekly, and by a different truck than the rest — it might be collected at a different time than the rest of people’s recyclables. 

People can download the Recycle BC app to sign up for collection day reminders, or check out the Recycle BC Maple Ridge page.

“We understand and acknowledge the frustration some residents have experienced with the transition,” said Chauhan.

She added that they are giving all households a voucher with their recycling guides for a large 20 gallon blue bin, at no cost. They can redeem that the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society or request Remple Disposal deliver it.