The Zero Waste Challenge is about reducing our waste. All of us make decisions everyday that impact how much garbage we send to the landfill.

Metro Vancouver is responsible for managing the garbage produced by 2.3 million residents and businesses in the Lower Mainland. Our goal is to improve reduction, reuse and recycling efforts so that by 2015, a minimum of 70% of our waste is kept out of disposal. You can do your part: reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can.

You may have seen the images above during your transit trips around the region. We’re encouraging residents to reduce, reuse and then recycle their old things. Why? Because there’s a place for everything and it’s usually not the landfill. MetroVancouverRecycles.org is an online directory of places you can donate or recycle just about anything. Enter your material, hit search and you’ll get a Google map showing where to take your stuff. We’ve also launched this great resource as a free iPhone/iPad app called weRecycle - download from iTunes for free by clicking here.

To the left are some additional resources to help you waste less:

• Find out what is in your garbage by conducting a waste audit. You might be surprised by how much food and paper is in there. 
• Focus on the six to fix- six problem wastes that frequently go to the landfill 
• Download signage for your building or office recycling areas 

Today, thanks to recycling and reusing, more than half (55%) of the 3.6 million tonnes of waste we create every year is kept out of the garbage.

Reduce- The BEST way to manage garbage is to not make in the first place. Shop differently, use reusable bags
Reuse- Reuse gives used items new life. For example, look for an opportunity for someone to reuse your old cell phone, computers, televisions and more.
Recycle- Recycling has huge benefits (creates jobs and income, gives value to unwanted items) and is something we are good at in this region. Recycling alone can not be the final answer to our garbage problems. Recycling still uses resources and has hidden costs from collection, transport and processing.