I have a great recycling resource to share with you! It actually came from one of our readers, so we have to give a big thanks to Nicole who introduced me to the Recyclepedia.
It’s put out through the Recycling Council of BC (so yes, it’s geographically specific). It’s actually a bit funny because although I’ve actually called their Recycling Hotline before and have their website listed as a resource on this very blog, I obviously hadn’t looked closely enough because I completely missed the amazing Recyclepedia.
Basically, it’s an encyclopedia of where you can recycle your waste.
You type in your product, and it gives you a brief definition and a list of where you can take your stuff to be recycled. Even if you live out of BC, it is a great resource it to find out about how different recyclable products are defined and what they get turned in to.
Nicole told me that the Recyclepedia “allows you to search by municipality, product (ie, plastic, metal, technology, etc.), and specific type of product” (such as #2 plastic).
For example, Nicole suggested I try Plastic Code 6 which was on the bottom of my Styrofoam container from the weekend.
The Recyclepedia had this to say:
“Plastic code 6 represents Polystyrene (PS). This code is commonly found on foam egg cartons and plastic cutlery. These can be recycled into foam egg cartons, thermometers and rulers. Check the bottom of your containers to determine the recycling code. For a list of local recycling options, please see the list below. “
And it listed 4 different places where I can take my polystyrene just in the Vancouver area!
It works for Appliances, Batteries, Beverage Containers, Electronics, Flamable Liquids, Hazardous Items, Metal, Oils, Paint, Paper, Plastics, and Rubber.
And, if you’re inclined to reuse before recycle, you can always access the materials exchange program that’s located on the RCBC website homepage. Now there’s no excuse for sending recyclables to the landfill!
The Clean Bin Project Blog 