Metro Vancouver cracks down on recycling and hazardous waste

Metro Vancouver's Zero Waste Challenge kicks off on Tuesday morning with a ban intended to reduce the amount of recyclable material and hazardous waste ending up in landfills.

Enforcement of the new regulations will start at the curbside.

If banned materials are spotted in the trash, the bags could be left behind, according to Metro Vancouver waste committee chair Marvin Hunt.

From Tuesday onward, the following items, including all blue box recyclables, are banned from garbage collection:

•  Corrugated cardboard.  
•  Newsprint and office paper. 
•  Gypsum drywall.  
•  Lead acid car batteries. 
•  Paints, solvents.
•  Flammable liquids and gasoline.
•  Pesticides.  
•  Vehicle tires.
•  Oil, oil filters and empty containers.  
•  Yard trimmings.  
•  Beverage containers. 
•  Medications and pharmaceuticals.  
•  Electronic waste (personal computers, TVs, printers). 

Electronic waste such as old computers and televisions is now accepted at Encorp Return-It depots around the province through a recycling program paid for by environmental handling fees that went into effect on Aug. 1.

The fees, which range from $5 for a laptop computer to $45 for a large television, are charged when the items are purchased and used to cover the recycling of the electronics.

Beverage containers, vehicle oil, oil filters and tires, as well as old paint and fuel, are also collected through similar fee-based programs involving retailers and depots.

Old medications and pharmaceuticals will be collected for free by pharmacies across the province for safe disposal.

In 2007, more than four million tonnes of garbage was sent to landfills.