Garbage, Recycling & Green Can

 

Collection Services Provided at No Cost to Curbside Collection Customers

In 2014 the Province mandated that a producer-run recycling program be implemented as a means of incentivizing reduced packaging and waste by producers. As of January 2015, Recycle BC began overseeing single-family recycling collection in the City of Langley and the City was no longer involved in the curbside recycling collection program. At that time the City eliminated the recycling component of the utility fee on residential tax notices and the service is now provided at no cost to curbside collection customers.

The new contractor, GFL Environmental, is enforcing collection rules more vigilantly than had been done in the past. Recycle BC has determined that proper sorting is imperative to the success of the recycling program as contamination results in recycling being redirected to the landfill. This will mean that we all need to be more diligent in sorting our recyclables. For more information please visit https://recyclebc.ca/langley/.

If you have any questions or concerns about the curbside collection program, please contact the collection contractor, GFL Environmental, at 778.765.3662 or srrecycle@gflenv.com. If unsatisfied with their response, then contact Recycle BC at 778-588-9504; Toll Free 1-855-875-3596 or info@recyclebc.ca.

We recognize that this transition has presented some frustration to our residents. We all share the common goal of seeing this program succeed as it is an important piece in protecting our environment.

Thank you for your patience and your commitment to recycling during this transition period.

 

Garbage is collected every second week according to the schedule for your zone noted in the 2021 Residential Waste Collection Guide. Green Can waste (kitchen organics such as bones, meat, eggshells, leftovers, grease and leaves, grass clippings, branches, etc.) and recycling items are picked up weekly. 

Please place your garbage cans, recycling bins and bags, and green cans and large paper bags at the curb by 7:30 am. The garbage limit is two 80 litre cans or two 66 cm x 91 cm bags not exceeding 20kg. Note there is no limit on recycling and green can organic waste pick-up. If cans do not have the Green Can decal, it will appear to be a regular garbage can and will result in your green waste not being picked up. Please visit the Green Can Waste section below for more important details on organic waste. Collection trucks collect each group of materials separately between the hours of 7:30 am and 7:00 pm. 

Emterra Environmental provides garbage, green waste and large item curbside pickup for City residents.  For more information on missed garbage and green waste pick-ups or to report other issues with green can (organic waste) and garbage waste, please contact Emterra Environmental at 604-635-0999 or email col@emterra.ca.

Recycling  Recycling collection in Langley City is managed by Recycle BC, who distributes their new collection guide and calendar each spring.  For more information on recycling collection, information on missed recycling pick-ups, or to report other issues with recycling service, please contact GFL Environmental at 778.765.3662 or srrecycle@gflenv.com.  Collection occurs on all statutory holidays except Christmas Day and New Year's Day. 

Langley City's online notification tool offers a simple way to help you remember waste collection days. Get a reminder email, tweet, phone call, or import a personalized calendar to iCal, Outlook or Google Calendar. Just enter your address.

To ensure we continue to enjoy a livable, prosperous and sustainable region, Langley City is committed to caring for the environment by reducing landfill waste and supporting the Metro Vancouver Integrated Solid Waste and Resource Management Plan. Below please find a detailed description of the garbage, recycling, green can/organic waste programs in Langley City.

Garbage

Garbage is collected every second week according to the schedule for your zone noted in the 2020 Residential Waste Collection Guide.

Please place your garbage cans/bags at the curb by 7:30 a.m. The garbage limit is two 80 litre cans or two 66 cm X91 cm bags not exceeding 20 kg. Note there is no limit on recycling and green can waste pick-up. Waste collection trucks collect each group of materials separately between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Extra Garbage pick-up is available by purchasing one-time use garbage stickers ($3.00 per bag) from City Hall (20399 Douglas Crescent) Corporate Services Department, Monday-Friday between 8:30am - 4:30pm.

For more information on missed garbage and green waste pick-ups or to report other issues with green can (organic waste) and garbage waste, please contact Emterra Environmental at 604-635-0999 or email col@emterra.ca.

Large Item Pick-up: Up four items (including furniture and appliances) per year is available to single-family dwelling residents by appointment only. To schedule a pick-up appointment, please call Emterra Environmental at 604-635-0999 or email col@emterra.ca.

Materials Banned from Garbage Collection

For a complete list of banned materials – including corrugated cardboard, newsprint, beverage containers, paint, oil, electronics and soon: organic waste and clean wood – click here. For more information, visit http://www.metrovancouver.org/ or call the Metro Vancouver Information Centre at 604-432-6200.

Garbage is inspected for high percentages of banned and recyclable materials. Loads that arrive at the disposal sites containing more than 5% (by volume) of banned materials are assessed a 50% surcharge (an additional $32.50 per tonne) on the whole load. These charges are passed back to your business or complex or municipality.

Recycling

Recycling is picked up weekly on the same day as your City scheduled Green Can Waste pick up. Recycling collection in Langley City is managed by Recycle BC, who distributes their new collection guide and calendar each spring.  Recycle BC is a non-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and printed paper recycling throughout British Columbia, including the City of Langley. Recycle BC ensures household materials are collected, sorted and responsibly recycled. The Recycle BC program is funded by over 1,200 businesses that include retailers, manufacturers and restaurants that supply packaging and printed paper to BC residents, shifting costs away from homeowners. Residents of the City of Langley do not pay for the recycling collection service, either to the City of Langley, or to Recycle BC or its contractor. 

Sorting Requirements

Recycle BC and GFL will be stepping up enforcement of sorting requirements. This may mean that residents’ material is not collected if they have not properly sorted into the three categories of paper, containers, and glass. If this occurs, an “oops” sticker will be left behind by the driver to inform the resident of why their material was not collected. Proper sorting ensures that more of the material that gets collected is successfully recycled. Every truck has separate compartments for recycling and it's the driver's responsibility to ensure that the materials are placed into the compartments correctly.

See below for detailed program info, including Recycle BC’s accepted materials list:

• Recycle BC Accepted Materials List (consolidated) 

• Recycle BC Recycling Guide or more information on recycling collection visit Recycle BC or contact GFL Environmental at 778.765.3662 or srrecycle@gflenv.com. 

Please place your recycling cans at the curb by 7:30 am. Note there is no limit on recycling waste pick-up. Waste collection trucks collect each group of materials separately between the hours of 7:30 am and 7:00 pm.

For information on missed recycling pick-ups or to report other issues with service, please contact GFL Environmental at 778.765.3662 or srrecycle@gflenv.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do with the items not accepted in my recycling containers?

You will continue to be able to recycle all of the plastic and metal packaging, and paper, that you do today in your recycling containers. Materials that are depot-only (foam packaging, plastic bags and overwrap, and other flexible plastic packaging) should continue to be excluded from curbside and instead taken to a Recycle BC depot.  

What do I do with my extra blue box and green box?

You are welcome to keep the extra boxes. They can be used for storage, moving boxes, raised garden beds, or kept as a back-up recycling box in the event that your main box goes missing or is damaged. Unfortunately, the boxes themselves cannot be collected for recycling, so if you want to dispose of it, it will need to be placed in the garbage.

Do I have to pay for replacement recycling containers?

If you receiving blue box service from Recycle BC, the following replacements will be provided:

  • Up to one blue box replacement every three years without charge;
  • Up to one grey box replacement every three years without charge; and
  • Up to one yellow bag replacement every year without charge.

If your request exceeds the number of replacement containers allotted, you may purchase additional boxes and bags from GFL.

I need another container, do not qualify for a free replacement and do not want to pay GFL. What are my options?

You may use a rigid container of your choice, such as a store-bought recycling bin or a large plastic tote. Corrugated cardboard that does not fit in your yellow bag can be flattened and cut to no larger than 30” wide (76cm) x 30” tall (76cm). Stack neatly and securely place beside or between recycling containers.

Additional Resources
Green Can Waste

Your Green Can is for recycling compostable organic waste. It is important that items placed in your Green Can should be wrapped in paper bags or newspaper.  PLASTIC BAGS AND 'COMPOSTABLE' PLASTIC BAGS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Green Cans containing any type of plastic bag will not be emptied until the bags are removed. The composting facility that accepts the City's organic waste is not able to accept compostable plastic bags due to the accelerated nature of their decomposition process.

Green Can Collections

The City provides weekly collection of compostable green waste year-round. Please place your green can waste at the curbside by 7:30 am on your collection day in either: designated refuse containers (minimum 50 litres / maximum 80 litres) marked with a "Green Can" decal, making sure this decal is facing the street (decals available at City Hall, 20399 Douglas Cr.) OR double-ply water-resistant, compostable kraft yard bags specifically designed for green waste collection (available at retail stores).

If cans do not have the Green Can decal, it will appear to be a regular garbage can and will result in your green waste not being picked up.

Waste collection trucks collect each group of materials separately between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Please make sure it's visible to our crew.  After your bin (s) has been emptied, please return it back to your property as soon as possible. If it is left out on the pavement, it may become a nuisance to people in the area.

Note: Branches (maximum 1 m x 60 cm) must be securely tied in bundles that are no heavier than 20kg. 

Accepted Green Can Items

What you can put in your green bin?

The City's contractor will only accept the following green bin items:

  • Food
  • All food including produce (fruits and vegetables), grains (bread, baked goods, pasta), dairy, meat, fish, shells (eggshells and shellfish) and bones
  • Plate and kitchen scraps (prepared leftover food)
  • Food-Soiled Paper (not clean paper)
  • Food-Soiled Paper Bags (not clean paper bags)
  • Food-soiled newsprint (kitchen catcher liner)
  • Paper napkins (food-soiled)
  • Pizza Boxes (food-soiled)
  • Paper Take-out containers (food-soiled)
  • Small amounts of fat, oil and grease
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Paper bags
  • Coffee grounds and paper filters
  • Teabags and tea grounds
  • Waxed cardboard
  • Wooden chopsticks, skewers, popsicle sticks
  • Yard Waste
  • Flowers
  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves
  • Other organic yard materials
  • Plants (living, dead, dried)
  • Trees & Hedge Prunings
  • Clean wood (small pieces)
Unacceptable Green Can Items

What you cannot put in your green bin?

The City's contractor will not accept the following green bin items:

  • Inorganic materials like glass, metal and plastic can't be composted.
  • Plastic and plastic-lined bags, even the ones labelled "biodegradable" or "compostable," are not accepted as they can cause operational problems, may not break down properly during processing and may contaminate the finished compost. If the operator identifies plastic bags or other non-compostable materials in the green bin, the entire load may be rejected and sent to landfill.
  • Animal carcasses
  • Butter wrappers
  • Bread tags
  • Cereal and cracker box liners
  • Chip and cookie bags
  • Coffee cups and lids, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Cotton swabs and balls, make-up remover pads
  • Cork
  • Dental floss
  • Dirty diapers
  • Elastic bands
  • Foil wrap, containers and pie plates
  • Glass jars
  • Metal cans
  • Netting
  • Pet food bags and other lined bags, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Pet waste or kitty litter
  • Personal hygiene items, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Plastic bags and plastic-lined bags, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Plastic containers and plastic cutlery, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Plastic wrap, even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Produce stickers (PLU stickers), even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Ribbon
  • Rubber bands
  • Soiled diapers
  • Soil, sod, rocks
  • Styrofoam
  • Swizzle sticks
  • Twist ties
  • Vacuum contents and bags
  • Wipes (e.g. baby wipes, make-up remover wipes), even those marked “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Wire
Multi-Family Residences

Multi-family homes (i.e. condos and townhouses) do not receive waste collection services from Langley City. Multi-family complexes management organizations arrange the service through a private waste hauler.

Garbage

Materials Banned from Garbage Collection

For a complete list of banned materials – including corrugated cardboard, newsprint, beverage containers, paint, oil, electronics and soon: organic waste and clean wood –- contact your service provider. For more information, visit http://www.metrovancouver.org/ or call the Metro Vancouver Information Centre at 604-432-6200.

Garbage is inspected for high percentages of banned and recyclable materials. Loads that arrive at the disposal sites containing more than 5% (by volume) of banned materials are assessed a 50% surcharge (an additional $32.50 per tonne) on the whole load. These charges are passed back to your business or complex or municipality.

Recycling

Multi-Family residents, please check out the recycling toolkit tailored to the number of units in your complex.

Recycling Resources:

For information on mattress recycling, call the Recycling Council of BC  Hotline at 604-REC-YCLE (604.732.9253).
To recycle beverage containers, electronics, computers, paper, paint, pesticides, fuel and more visit Langley Bottle Depot at 20137 Industrial Avenue.
To recycle beverage containers, glass, electronics, paint, fluorescent tubes (lamps) and common household batteries (AAA, AA, C, D and the smaller “watch” style), visit Willowbrook Recycling at 19641 60 Avenue.
To recycle lead-acid batteries, visit Edmonds Recycling,101-20583 Langley Bypass.
To find the nearest recycling centre by category, visit Metro Vancouver Recycles.

Green Can

Did you know that Metro Vancouver banned organic materials (including food scraps) from the landfill in 2015?  Your multi-family complex should be set up with organics/food scraps collection!  If your complex is not receiving this service, please contact your strata or property management company about contacting a private hauler, such as your current garbage contractor.

Green Waste Resources:

Metro Vancouver’s Information about the Organic Ban
Metro Vancouver’s Resources for Apartments and Condos
Metro Vancouver’s Questions to ask Haulers
Metro Vancouver’s Food Scrap Recycling Information, Signs and Handout