Garbage, Recycling & Green Can

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.

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.

• For information on mattress recycling, call the Recycling Council of BC  Hotline at 604-REC-YCLE (604.732.9253). 
• Recycle BC website for City of Langley: RecycleBC.ca/Langley
• Depot locator tool: https://recyclebc.ca/where-to-recycle/find-depot/
• Metro Vancouver Disposal Facilities
• Product Care - Paint, Pesticides, Flammable Liquids
• Recycling Council of BC Website
• BC Recyclopedia

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)

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

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.

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.

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