Of the three million tonnes of solid waste we produce annually in the Lower Mainland,

• approximately 50 per cent (1.5 million tonnes) is recycled,
• 17 per cent (285,000 tonnes) is incinerated in a waste-to-energy facility, and
• the remaining 23 percent (700,000 tonnes) is sent to the Vancouver or Cache Creek landfills.

Recycling

• keeps re-usable materials(paper, glass , metals and plastics) out of the landfills
• reduces the volume of material trucked to the landfill, therefore reducing air impacts from transportation
• gives value to numerous usable items formally considered ‘garbage’ and saves the region money (garbage costs about $130 per tonne to manage while recycling can create a small profit)
• reduces our consumption of natural resources used to manufacture new items
• creates employment. Thousands of local jobs are related to the recycling industry.
  

Unsure of what you can recycle?
What materials are acceptable varies from municipality to municipality. If you have questions about recycling check out our Metro Vancouver Recycles database or contact your municipality.  You can also call the Recycling Hotline at 604-RECYCLE (604-732-9253).

Business recycling 
Metro Vancouver provides hands-on support for business recycling (industrial, commercial or institutional operations) as well as job site recycling (demolition and salvage, landclearing and construction). Contact us at 604-432-6200 for on-site technical assistance, or check out the on-line technical guides and recycling directories at the Metro Vancouver's SmartSteps website.
 SmartSteps