The province is adding a variety of new things to what will be recycled in B.C. over the coming years.
“Expanding the number of recyclable products will mean convenient, free collection of those products and a cleaner environment for British Columbians,” says George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in a press release. “Adding to the product list will reduce the waste that’s now being sent to the landfill or illegally dumped in back alleys or green spaces."
The items are being added to B.C.'s Recycling Regulation and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Producers will have five-years to build the systems to follow the new changes. The EPR puts the cost of recycling items on the producer of the item, not local governments. It's been in place since 2004 and covers everything from light bulbs to paint already.
A good chunk of what's being added are types of electronics, ranging from electronic-vehicle (EV) batteries to solar panels to e-cigarettes. The types of lithium batteries accepted will also be expanded.
Other items are being added as well, though in some cases local recycle programs in some parts of the province already deal with them like mattresses and fire extinguishers.
There are other changes coming to recycling in B.C. as well, like deposits and refunds for milk (not just cow milk, but nut and other types as well) and expanding what single-use items can be recycled.
