BC Cities Offer Help with Disposal of Large Items Through Pickup Program

Spring cleaning gets millions of people looking at what they can discard each year and make way for something new.

It is an opportunity to look around the home and to see what might be old or unused, spring is the time to do that deep cleaning and look at giving any of those unnecessary things away.

Through the pandemic it might have been difficult to drop off items in some places. But things are returning to normal now and that means normal drop off for donation items too.

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Large Item Pickup Programs Around BC

Looking to get rid of some unwanted large items in BC? There are several city programs that are known as Large Item Pickup Programs that offer residents that chance to have those items picked up conveniently.

You can set an appointment and expect a time to have those unused items moved. This program offers a chance to dispose of their items for free with help from the city.

Other alternatives might have you calling junk removal services and that can be costly at times depending on what you might be looking to get rid of.

It also isn’t always doable for everyone to bring that large donation items to a specific physical drop off donation space either, especially depending on the size of the item.

The large pickup program helps residents in cities around BC be able to get rid of those used items in an easier way.

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Different Places to Donate Used Items Around BC

There are clothing donation bins to be found, and organizations that accept some used items such as thrift stores and more. It might be easy for some to make it to these locations to give away their furniture donations and other items, but it might be difficult for others depending on their location or what they might be looking to get rid of.

The Large Item Pickup Program can be found in cities around BC like Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley, Richmond, Burnaby, and other areas.

Just look up the Large Item Pickup Program details for the city you might be interested in and book your own pickup for something you might want to finally get rid of this spring during some spring cleaning.

By looking up more details on the program in a specific area you can also find more on what are acceptable items that they might take and how many times residents might be able to utilize this program per year for items to be picked up.

Canada Single Use Plastics Ban Expected To Be Finalized This Year

Canada had a plan to ban single use plastic products this year that was announced long ago, this plan to ban single use plastics around the country is expected to be finalized at the end of 2021.

The plan to ban single use plastics in Canada includes a move to ban things like plastic grocery bags, stir sticks, plastic straws, cutlery, and containers for takeout food.

The effort put forth is a plan to try and reduce waste in the environment from single use plastics. You might have already seen the paper straws start to pop up at your favorite fast food restaurants and grocery markets, and plastic bag options have been taken away.

There are several reasons for this plan to reduce single use plastics in Canada and among those reasons Canadian leaders cite are motivations such as these materials are:
– Harmful to environment
– Costly to recycle
– There Are Readily Available Alternatives

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The Move to Ban Single Use Plastics in Canada

There are already popular grocery store chains like Safeway that have moved away from plastic bags in their stores and you need to bring a bag with you or you can purchase a reusable bag there or a paper bag. There are other stores that are also following in the same footsteps with this trend in removing more plastic from the market today.

It isn’t just BC either where businesses are making this change, other Canadian provinces have also seen similar changes.

We can now find single use plastic bans that have sprung up in Nanaimo, Surrey, and other regions. In recent years the province has also made it easier for BC communities to implement their own bans on single use plastic items and plastic bags etc.

The province is still looking to do more and it could be as early as 2023 that we start to see some new regulations on that front for the ban on single use plastics on a much more broad scale in the region.

It might not be that much longer before more retailers start to transition in the same direction and drop their single use plastic bags that they are still offering to customers these days.

Canadian leaders have suggested that they will be looking to move forward on banning those plastics by 2021 but plastic pollution is still a problem.

It is estimated that Canadians are throwing away roughly 3.3 million tonnes of plastic every year.

With those promises of banning single use plastics they are moving closer to their goals of reducing waste and some surveys have shown that the majority of Canadians support this move. However, you can still find these items readily available at different businesses around the province but in recent years it has been evolving with more compostable and paper options coming out.

That federal ban on single use plastics is expected to come into effect at the end of this year.

Where to Recycle Your Halloween Candy Wrappers in BC

There are a number of companies in Canada that try to make it easier today for Canadians to recycle.

From offering a place to donate old batteries, old laptops and other electronics, to a destination for old candy wrappers, there is lots that Canadian companies are doing to help with the trash around the country.

This Halloween London Drugs has partnered Recycle BC to again offer their Flexible Plastics Return program that accepts old Halloween candy wrappers.

Take the time to bring your old Halloween candy wrappers to a London Drugs location in BC to donate that flexible plastic garbage.

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Bring Your Halloween Wrappers to London Drugs

Our B.C. stores are partnering with @recycleBC again this year, to accept Halloween candy wrapper returns. Bring back your candy wrappers and look for the flexible plastic collection bin to keep your Halloween wrappers out of landfills.

Learn more: https://t.co/Z32ZW7Q89v pic.twitter.com/YKA9vU9bR4

— London Drugs (@LondonDrugs) October 23, 2021

via Twitter.com/LondonDrugs

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This is a great action that London Drugs is engaging in for the province, allowing Canadians in this region to have a spot to easily bring that plastic garbage to get rid of in a convenient manner. If you are headed to London Drugs to do some shopping anyways then bring that Halloween candy wrapper garbage right along with you.

The London Drugs BC stores will be accepting Halloween candy wrapper returns to help keep that garbage out of landfills and away from the environment as a result. They’ve managed to collect thousands of kilograms of garbage through the years through this program that they offer.

London Drugs has provided a valuable solution for the collection of flexible plastic packaging in BC and for those who browse their waste management apps they will see that this sort of item is not accepted in the curbside recycling boxes and it is required to take it to the nearest depot.

Recycle Old Candy Wrappers at London Drugs and More

London Drugs has also provided help to Canadians with recycling items like computers, batteries, small appliances, smoke alarms, light bulbs, Styrofoam, and more. Some of those items that they are accepting for recycling are only taken if purchased at London Drugs as well.

Find out more about their recycling efforts here from their social media account that details their recycling efforts and more.

Taking a Dive to Remove the Trash

Cleanups of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water around Canada and elsewhere, have been organized in recent years and been able to remove thousands of pounds of trash from the water. Scuba teams in different regions have been filming their efforts and there are a wide variety of videos to find online through social media platforms and places like YouTube where you can watch the activities and see the trash that has been found and removed from different regions.

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In Canada there are some here trying to help and do the same. Scuba divers have been working to clean local water areas like lakes and more and they’ve pulled things like crab traps out of the water, shopping carts, tires, bottles, and a lot more.

These scuba diving lake cleanups and other cleanups for oceans and rivers etc, are community efforts that are looking to help better the environment and get rid of the trash that has been overlooked for so long.

One of the organizations doing this in BC is known as Cleaner Lakes and on their social media you can see the different cleanup activities that they have engaged in. Just recently they removed trash from Sasmat Lake including many cans, bottles, and even a gun.

Around BC you can find various beach cleanup groups that have organized one event or another to try and keep the beaches and communities clean, they have found a wide variety of trash in the water including phone cases, scissors, and many old traps.

Scuba Divers Clean Up Around Vancouver

These helpful divers have been cleaning up lakes around BC, and other bodies of water around the world. “Rubbish divers” as they have also been referred to are doing great work around the world to try and clean up the water, improve those ecosystems, and get rid of the garbage. It’s surprising what some of them have been able to find along the way.

They have been busy cleaning all around British Columbia, including on the West Coast around Vancouver, up through the Okanagan, and other areas. There certainly is no shortage of trash in the water to find. Cultus Lake, Brohm Lake, and other areas have already seen some action with divers cleaning up the garbage that they find. They are cleaning these lakes and water areas one dive at a time.

One Dive At A Time

In some circumstances there have been some divers who have allegedly been stopped by police for their activities in trying to clean up the water. However, there are a variety of positive experiences that divers have had in helping the community and doing good by removing the trash without seeing any such incidents take place.

The diving for trash approach is a growing trend that has been seeing more become interested over the years in doing this and getting out to help the community. Around Canada, the United States, and other regions, volunteers are helping to clean those communities and give back by taking the time to remove trash that has gone overlooked for too long.

For those volunteers it is the passion that drives them to commit their time and dedication to this cause. And it is a worthy one to pursue. Some of those scuba teams will be busy for months working on a project to clean a certain area and it is all for the improvement of the community.

Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event

The Vancouver Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event is coming up in August and it brings the chance for those in the community to conveniently drop off a number of used and unwanted items.

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It might be clothing that is no longer needed, old household items like small appliances, or electronics that are not needed or working etc. These can be brought down to the Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event in Vancouver to be discarded of properly.

The clothing that gets donated to the Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event in Vancouver might be reused or recycled, possibly repurposed into other goods. Items that will be accepted at the Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event include items like electronics, clothing, shoes, batteries, cell phones, and laptops.

For those in the Metro Vancouver area disposing of these items can be difficult at times, as not everyone has the time or ability to head over to a proper drop off Return It depot. The community event gives people in the area another avenue to dispose of those items as a part of the zero waste recycling event.

The Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event is also referred to as a zero waste event because it encourages members in the community to rethink what they are using and getting rid of.

There is an upcoming Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event in Vancouver at Magee Secondary School Parking Lot on Saturday, August 21, 2021, 10am – 1pm.

Upcoming Vancouver Recycling Drop-Off Events

The Aug 21 Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event is not going to be the only event for those in B.C. to find where they can properly drop off some unused clothing and other goods. Another Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Event will be on Sept 18 2021 from 10am-1pm at the Killarney Community Centre in Vancouver.

• Maple Street

WHAT: Reuse and Recycling Drop-Off Event

WHERE:
Magee Secondary School Parking Lot
6360 Maple St
Vancouver, BC

WHEN:

• Aug 21, 10am – 1pm
• Sept 18 10am – 1pm

Making Life Easier: Companies in Canada that are Eco-Leaders

London Drugs is a Western Canadian retailer that helps to recycle millions of pounds of materials each year, already there are tens of millions of pounds of waste and materials that has been recycled thanks to their efforts.

London Drugs is considered an eco-leader because of their environmental-friendly practices and initiatives.

London Drugs and recycling partners have kept over 113 million pounds of waste out of landfills around British Columbia.

They launched their What’s The Green Deal? to further enhance their recycling and sustainability efforts. They help Canadians to recycle things like batteries, phones, light bulbs, and other items.

If you are looking to recycle things like electronics, small appliances, light bulbs, or even water filters, and other items, then London Drugs is a retailer worth checking out.

Their What’s The Green Deal? program enables you to efficiently return these items to them and they can take care of it, without you needing to throw it into the garbage bin.

They note on their site that they accept a variety of items if you have purchased them from London Drugs, otherwise they instruct going to your local recycling venue to dispose of it correctly.

There are also some limits to consider that apply per day, you can only recycle a certain amount of light bulbs, plastics, or other items. They join others like Best Buy who are also looking to do what they can to help protect and create a better environment with waste-conscious decisions in business that they are making.

Get rid of old electronics at Best Buy

Best Buy is another retailer that is helping Canadians to properly dispose of batteries and electronics. If you are looking for a place in Coquitlam to dispose of batteries or another area around Vancouver, then look to a Best Buy for help. Best Buy allows you to take those items in for recycling even if you didn’t buy them right from them originally, they still take them from you.

This is a great chance for those in Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver, and other areas, who want to find a place that takes their old batteries and electronics that they are not using any longer.

The recycling by Best Buy is a result of their partnership with Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) and Call2Recycle. This recycling partnership that Best Buy has is something that enables them to recycle more than just batteries but also cellphones, microwaves, home theater systems, and more.

The Call2Recycle boxes are a convenient way for Canadians to just drop their batteries into the box that they aren’t using any longer.

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Best Buy is a retailer for Canadians if you are looking for a place that can help you to dispose of batteries and other appliances, they can make it easy for you. The next time you are going in to do some shopping then you can just bring your old batteries with you that you want to safely dispose of properly, they can help you with it.

There are a variety of Best Buy locations in Vancouver to find and around the Lower Mainland that you could visit.

What can you recycle with Best Buy?

Best Buy can help with disposing of cords and cables, desktop computers, printers, display devices, TVs, monitors, portable car electronics, medical and monitoring equipment, musical instruments, portable computers, batteries and battery powered toys, audio systems, answering machines, pagers, and more.

Aside from Best Buy there are other retailers that also help you to recycle and reduce waste, they include those like MAC with their BACK 2 MAC program that enables you to upcycle your old makeup containers. When you return a certain number of empty containers then you can get a free product like a lipstick and you can recycle both in-store with them and online too.

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Nordstrom has also launched their beauty take-back and recycling program known as Beautycycle.

They help Canadians to recycle things like hair gel tubes, hair caps, hair spray bottles, lip balm tubes, lotion bottles and jars, lip glosses, eye liner pencils and cases, eye shadow and eye tubes, concealer tubes, concealer sticks, and other items.

When they brought this program to Canada they effectively became the first major retailer in the country to offer this sort of arrangement. That is offering a recycling program for beauty items from all brands, for hard-to-recycle packaging.

This option that is available is something that gives women in Canada a lot of convenience when they want to find an effective way to dispose of those items, they just drop it into the BEAUTYCYCLE boxes that are found in the beauty department.

Another retailer, The Body Shop in Canada, also offers an easy way to make more environmentally friendly choices with their Return, Recycle, Repeat recycling service. The Body Shop enables Canadians to engage in a recycling refill program, the first of its kind that was launched in the Pacific Centre store in Vancouver.

You can fill the product, like shower gel, and once you are done with it you bring it back and refill it again.

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Whether you want to dispose of makeup containers or old batteries, small appliances, or a computer, there are different companies around BC and Canada that can help you to do it. These companies are offering free alternatives for Canadians when they need it, when they cannot access other alternatives.

Together these companies are also keeping millions of pounds of waste out of landfills and helping to upcycle products that would’ve otherwise been considered garbage.

There are many eco-leaders in Canada, these are just a few. More companies in Canada and elsewhere over the last decade have decided to make that shift toward environmentally friendly business practices, and helping their customers make cleaner choices for their communities.

A great majority of companies in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, are now shifting toward embracing these greener goals.

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People want companies to help them make a difference and they are happy to support them when they can achieve that.

If you can help people to dispose of their old containers, recycle small appliances, plant trees, and make those more positive choices, then this is adding more value to their lives. And there is great opportunity in that for both the business and the individual.

The Growing Zero Waste Trend in Business

From zero-waste food deliveries to self-serve refills, the era of zero waste in business is growing here in B.C. When the pandemic hit we saw that more people were ordering delivery, shopping online, and trash was starting to pile up. More businesses started to take a look at their packaging and more consumers are caring these days about the packaging of the products that they buy.

Zero Waste Trend on the Rise

The detail on the packaging and the overall branding might be less important to consumers today than it is to find packaging that is made with recycled materials, or that is able to be composted easily. These are strong points of differentiation that can help one company stand out from another.

Many consumers today want that convenience and some don’t mind paying a little more if it means doing some good and contributing to a zero waste business by doing it.

There are services that deliver bulk grocery orders, milk bottles that get refilled, and other refill services, even zero-waste takeout food operations too.

Mason jars, paper and silicone straws, compost forks and boxes, there are many ways that businesses can get creative with trying to reduce their waste in their business operations.

Even big names today have committed to being zero waste operations within a few years from now, whether or not they might get there and achieve that goal is another thing to be seen.

The trend is here to stay though, companies today need to be concerned about their footprint and the waste that their products contribute to the environment.

Unnecessary and wasteful packaging on products is something that can also easily become ridiculed online as well. When this happens and those stories and images go viral, with people commenting on how ridiculous it is to be that wasteful in packaging etc, this can easily go on in contributing to a negative branding moment for the company. That might be an event that might be hard to recover from.

Mindful business practices are how one can move in the direction of looking at what needs work still and where there can be improvements made to work toward a more zero waste approach in business.

Some businesses in Vancouver that have made it a mission to value zero waste business initiatives, who are looking at reducing unnecessary garbage in packaging etc, include names like SMAK in Vancouver, SPUD, Herbaland, Translink, Safeway, and others.

While the packaging design can influence purchases, there are often more important components of packaging and product that are going to influence whether someone goes with the product. In different regions around the world we have seen that surveys show people are willing to pay for products that avoid plastic packaging.

There is power in purposes with businesses today

Some surveys show that people would be willing to switch from a normal product that they buy for an alternative with a clear mission, knowing that their money is going toward just more than that product or service alone.

There are many belief-driven buyers who are going to make purchases that are strongly linked with their preferences and personal identity, issues that are important to them for example. When a business can successfully capture that interest in pairing with the right cause, it can be significant in attracting new audiences.

When brands are socially responsible and have those missions they have been seen as more trustworthy and have captured more support in the market compared to businesses that don’t have that mission. It can be done by any business as well, big or small, when a business wants to link with a cause and solve or reduce waste issues at the same time as doing business.

Those who support purpose-driven companies have also been shown to be more willing to share with others about their experiences, essentially doing their marketing for them.

Trying to reduce waste isn’t that controversial, but sometimes there are efforts in that direction that might work in a negative fashion though. When brands try to engage in business with a purpose and become vocal on certain political issues it might harm the company rather than help. Some investigations have found that consumers would be willing to boycott a brand or avoid it based on certain social issues it might be public on or side with.

However, planting trees and trying to run a cleaner business operation isn’t and shouldn’t be that controversial. It’s better for everyone and it isn’t forced onto anyone, it’s up to those businesses to forge their own path in how zero waste they want to be. These are trends that are going to shape the next decade and are going to transform a number of spaces and products, they already are.

We can still get great products and find value even while pursuing those zero waste business methods. If people are willing to open their wallets and want to support those Eco-friendly trends then we can assume it’s only going to grow and impact more businesses around the world today.