What is Biodiesel? Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable bio-fuel derived from high free fatty acid feedstock (aka. restaurant grease, vegetable oil, cooking oil, animal fats) that are put through a process called Transesterification; combining the oil with an alcohol (typically Methanol, sometimes Ethanol), and a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide). The result of this exchange is a chemical reaction which produces glycerin and an ‘ester’ or organic compound called Biodiesel.

Thanks to the Vancouver Biodiesel Co-op, which is the Lower Mainland’s ONLY consumer source of 100% pure recycled, ASTM certified and locally sourced Biodiesel we continue to strive towards sustainability and the reduction of our Green House Gas (GHG) footprint. 

Since 2010, we have been involved in the Climate Smart Program for businesses, and we have been able to measure our carbon footprint. As such have been able to plan and action ways to reduce our carbon emissions. Running our vehicles on alternate fuel sources is one of our key reduction strategies and we are ecstatic to be a member of the Vancouver Biodiesel Co-op! 

Green Coast is committed and passionate about reducing our GHG Footprint, and by fueling our new carrier with Biodiesel, we are ensuring a lower vehicle emissions, therefore reducing our overall GHS footprint as we continually work towards a smaller impact on our planet and resources. 

Did you know that most carpet is comprised of plastic fibers, and therefore can and should be recycled. With roughly 250 million pounds of carpet waste turning up in Canadian landfills every year (6 billion in the U.S.), there is much work to be done. These sad rolls of ditched carpet are second only to diapers in terms of landfill volume, contributing to 4% of landfill waste, and take over five decades to degrade.

That’s where Aspera Recycling comes in. Aspera is a 100% Canadian owned and operated company, leading the industry in waste diversion and recycling of both carpet and carpet underlay. With 9 collection sites across Canada, Aspera is working from multiple platforms to ensure all carpet is diverted from the landfills. 

How Aspera works:

• Sorts and organizes carpet based on polymer content
• Shears carpet fibers which contain plastic
• Converts the carpet shears into pure fibers
• Fibers are then prepared for shipping and reintroduced into the manufacturing process

We at Green Coast Rubbish are excited to announce our on-going partnership with Aspera recycling. Our first project will save roughly 85 tonnes of carpet and carpet underlay from ending up in a landfill, and involves recycling nearly 600 units of carpeting from two towers in downtown Vancouver. We are proud to be partnering up with Aspera Recycling on this and many projects to come.

 If you need advice or require any assistance in disposing of your old unwanted carpet, contact us today with any questions.   

Recycling of your electronics should not be a challenge or a burden when you consider the excellent regional recycling programs and facilities we have in place.  We at Green Coast Rubbish want to make sure you do the right thing with your e-waste, so we have come up with a resource list of FREE locations and programs where you can recycle your electronics responsibly in Metro Vancouver.

Encorp Pacific’s Return-It Depots have a fantastic end-of-life electronics recycling program available to all consumers in British Columbia. The Return-It depots are located across the Lower Mainland of BC. Basically, anything with a plug or a battery can be recycled through this program. Find the nearest Return-It depot.  

Free Geek is another great option for recycling your  electronics in Vancouver.  They operate as a nonprofit organization that not only recycles, but reuses the donated electronics. Check out their website for details on acceptable electronics and store location. 

London Drugs also provides a free end-of-life electronics recycling program for items that have been purchased at their stores.  Customers can drop off items for recycling at any store location.  Follow these links for a list of eligible materials and for the location nearest you. 

If you didn’t know, the Salvation Army has been a working partner of Encorp’s Electronics Return-It program since 2007, and they will also take your electronics for recycling. Additionally, if your items still have some life left in them, the Salvation Army will  happily accept them for donation. For the nearest drop off location. 

Think Recycle is a cost-free environmental fundraising program that refiberishes, recycles, and resuses donated electronics. Green Coast Rubbish has partnered with the e-waste organization since 2011.  All funds generated through Green Coast’s collection of appropriate e-waste are donated to the David Suzuki Foundation. Check out our past blog about the partnership. Visit Think Recycle’s site to learn more about their program and how to get involved. 

Anyway you look at it your old electronics contain hazardous materials that are harmful to our environment, and as such, they must be recycled responsibly! If you are in need of assistance or advice with recycling your electronics from your home, organization or place of work call us today for a free and friendly quote.  Happy recycling!

If you live in Metro Vancouver there are plenty of options for recycling or composting your green beauty. To help you achieve this, we have put together a comprehensive list of local facilities, tree chipping events and environmentally friendly solutions for recycling your Christmas tree this holiday season.

North Shore

First and foremost, you can compost your Christmas tree by including it with your regular curbside “Green Can” collection materials. Just be sure that it is cut and bundled into piles no larger than 3 feet by 1 foot. Or, if that seems like too much work, you can support one of the many local tree chipping events listed below:

North Vancouver Lions Club

Location: Karen Magnussen Community Centre – 2300 Kirkstone Road, North Vancouver, BC.

Location: Highland Chevron – 3150 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver, BC.

Date & Time: Jan. 6th from 9:30am to 3:30pm

Cost: By donation

Seymour Scouts (11th and 13th)

Location: Parkgate Village Shopping Centre – Mount Seymour Road, North Vancouver, BC.

Date: Jan. 6th from 9:00am to 4:30pm

Cost: By donation

City of North Vancouver Firefighters

Location: RONA – 1160 East 3rd Street, North Vancouver, BC.

Date & Time: Jan. 5th from 8:30am to 4:30pm

Cost: By donation

Ambleside Tiddlycove Lions Club

Location: Ambleside Park – 13th Street and Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC.

Date & Time: Jan. 1st to Jan. 6th – Weekdays: 12:00pm to 4:00pm; Weekends: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Cost: By donation

Source: North Shore Recycling Program 

Vancouver

For residents of Vancouver with regular green waste pickup, you can include your Christmas tree with your curbside recycling until January 31st. To leave it curbside, the tree must be unbagged and placed at least 3 feet from the wheeled carts before 7:00am on collection day.

Alternatively, you can drop your tree off for free at the Vancouver Transfer Station Recycling Depot-377 West Kent Avenue N, Vancouver, BC. If neither of those options work, you can always drop off your tree at any of the tree recycling events listed below:

Lions Club Christmas Tree Recycling

Location: Kerrisdale Community Community Centre - 5851 West Blvd, Vancouver, BC

Location: Kits Beach – Parking lot by Cornwall Street and Arbutus Street, Vancouver, BC.

Location: Sunset Beach Upper parking lot by Pacific Boulevard and Broughton Street, Vancouver, BC.

Location:  RONA - 2727 East 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC.

Dates: January 7th to 8th

Christmas Tree Recycling at UBC

Location: UBC Botanical Garden – 6804 South West Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC.

Dates and Time: Dec. 26 to Jan 8th from 9:30am to 4:30pm

Cost: $5 donation (suggested)

Burnaby

If you are a resident of Burnaby, you can drop off your Christmas tree for free at the Burnaby Yard Waste Depot-4800 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby, BC.

Richmond

Single-family homes in the City of Richmond can include their Christmas trees with their curbside pickup, but make sure to cut and bundle the tree into 3 feet x 2 feet piles. You can also take your tree to the City of Richmond Recycling Depot-5555 Lynas Lane, Richmond, BC.

Source: Vancity Buzz 

Please recycle or compost your Christmas tree this holiday season. It’s the green thing to do! 

With that admirable goal in mind, Obsession has established a “Bikes for Tykes” program on the North Shore of Vancouver. The Bikes for Tykes program was founded in 1987 in Naples, Florida and has since delivered close to 18,000 reconditioned bicycles to some very lucky children. With 25 chapters in the US and 3 in Canada the program has been a massive success, to say the least.

The concept of the program is simple, you donate your previously owned kids bikes to be restored to “like new” condition and then Obsession, in conjunction with other local partners, will deliver the revitalized bikes to underprivileged children across the North Shore for Christmas. 

Since 2005, Obsession has delivered 100 refurbished bikes to kids on the Shore each Christmas, and Green Coast is on board to help them reach and exceed this number for 2012.

If you have a bike to donate but don’t have the means or the time to get it to Obsession, no need to worry. We will happily pick-up your child’s bike, scooter, or anything with two wheels for free and deliver it to Obsession!  Just contact us and mention the Bikes for Tykes program and we’ll take care of the rest.

Help make this a memorable Christmas for children on the North Shore, because when it comes to bikes, we’re all still kids at heart! 

From November 5^th to 9^th SCI BC will be raising awareness and much need funds through their annual Ugly Ties Change Lives campaign. The concept is simple, wear your ugliest ties to work, raise funds and share your photos on SCI BC’s Facebook page.

That’s what our team at Green Coast Rubbish plans on doing!  It’s our goal to assist the SCI BC in raising funds so that they can continue to help people with spinal cord injuries live productive lives within their communities. Here’s a fun little video on this fashion bending fund raising campaign.

While you’re at it, why not join the SCI BC at their culminating event for the campaign, the ‘Ugly Tie Affair’ on November 8^th. Come and enjoy an evening of ugly ties, appies, refreshments and fun. The evening’s proceedings will be emceed by CTV sportscaster Kelcey Brade.

Hope to see you there, and remember to get your ‘tie on’ for this great cause!

Green Coast Rubbish is honored to be nominated with such an elite group of companies. We are thrilled that our commitment to creating a sustainable environment and supporting our community has been recognized by the Better Business Bureau. Good luck to all the finalists!

The Yahoo team wrote a nice little article that shows our dedication and strong commitment  in achieving positive social environmental outcomes: press release.

Recently, I cleaned out my garage, amassing a pile of junk/recyclables. Then my ancient freezer completely broke down.  I turned to the Recycling Council of BC for assistance.  One of the two responsible recycling companies they recommended was Green Coast Rubbish.

I contacted both companies, ultimately deciding on Green Coast Rubbish. They were first to respond in a very timely manner, and subsequent communications were clear, concise, friendly, and professional. Green Coast Rubbish (Eamonn and his assistant, Michael) arrived on the date and time arranged. They introduced themselves and shook hands with me. They were both neatly dressed. One of the first things out of their truck was a trashcan, brooms and a shovel, which really impressed me, as they were obviously intent on cleaning up the remaining debris after they finished loading.

It was a most excellent and positive experience. The real bonus is that they recycle; meaning a large portion of my junk will not end up in landfill. Without hesitation, I happily and highly recommend Green Coast Rubbish.

Linda McDonell, North Vancouver, BC

Sept 24, 2012

___

I have dealt with Green Coast Rubbish a few times and have nothing but great things to say about them. Amongst other things, they are:

1. 1. Fast
2. 2. Courteous
3. 3. Pleasant to deal with
4. 4. Eco-friendly, which is extremely important in this day and age
5. 5. On time
6. 6. Trustworthy – they did what they said they were going to do when they said they would do it at the cost they quoted.

Paddy Bickerton, North Vancouver, BC

July 20, 2012

___

My husband passed away suddenly the year before, leaving behind 30 years of “collections” and “stuff” in our expansive crawlspace under the house. After stalling as long as I could, I realized that I could not move forward in life until this mess was dealt with. Fortunately, an online search pointed me to Green Coast Rubbish.

I was immediately impressed by the quick and supportive response I got via email from the company representative. The staff at Green Coast went out of their way to accommodate me quickly in hopes of making this process a little less painful and prolonged.

Because Green Coast Rubbish prides itself on being an environmentally friendly company, the biggest bonus in using their services came in the form of the recycling aspect of their work. Knowing other people could get use from my husband’s belongings made me feel so much less conflicted about getting rid of them.

From start to finish, they were caring, diligent and always going the extra mile, including follow-up inquiries regarding my satisfaction with the job and how I was feeling about the process. I have used their services again since our first encounter and would very highly recommend them to anyone in the future. Who knew junk removal could be such a personal and pleasurable experience!

Stacey Gilkinson, Delta, BC

July 18, 2012

The reasons for needing a service like Green Coast Rubbish can be varying and at many times emotional and complex. We appreciate those who have trusted us to handle the removal process. We continue to strive to be the most professional and sustainable junk removal company in the Lower Mainland.

Recently we completed an estate clean-out and one of the items for removal was a hand pedal bike which was in excellent condition. Knowing that this item could be given a new home, we contacted Spinal Cord Injury BC (formally the BC Paraplegic Association) and are excited to report that they gladly received this special bike with open arms. They have since given this bike a new home. In fact, Spinal Cord Injury BC has had to rent these bikes in the past as a pedal bike was nonexistent, until GCR made this timely donation.

Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC) aids individuals with spinal cord injury* (SCI) and their families adjust, adapt and thrive by providing answers, information and community experience.

SCI BC has a peer program that provides social connections, educational opportunities, and unique life experiences to individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Adjusting to life in a wheelchair is challenging.  People can become isolated, inactive, depressed and unaware of opportunities available to them. The SCI BC Peer Program helps people with SCI overcome these challenges.

The GCR team is thrilled the unwanted bike was able to find such a worthwhile new home. The donation will encourage individuals at SCI to become more active and aid in rehabilitation efforts. On planned recreation days, peers get the chance to participate in several activities such as adaptive cycling, kayaking, hiking and now pedal biking!

Green Coast Rubbish is a proud supporter of our community. In 2011 GCR donated nearly 7 tonnes of clothing, goods and furniture to the community. By supporting and being dedicated to your local community, we make our neighbourhoods a better place to live, work. We all can make difference in the communities and cities we live in with minimal effort.

Enter Carpet Cycle, Canada’s only processor of post-consumer carpet based in Toronto. In other words, Carpet Cycle will take your unwanted carpet, process it and recycle it. As most carpet is petroleum based, carpet recycling facilities actually save more than 700,000 barrels of oil annually and conserve 4.4 trillion BTUs of energy. As a result, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are lowered by the simple act of recycling your carpet.

There are several steps to process carpet to make it re-usable again. Once it arrives, carpet is sorted by the polymer type and then sheared to separate the fibre from the backing. Further processing will render the fibre ready to be re-manufactured into new carpet. The backing can be recycled into automotive parts, plastic components and other industrial parts.

Green Coast Rubbish recently had the pleasure of visiting the Carpet Cycle team in their Toronto facility. Our time with the company strenghthened the need that Vancouver has for a similar carpet recycler. Currently our closest option is in Seattle Washington. We are keeping our green fingers crossed that a Carpet Cycle soon brings their ethical practices to the city of Vancouver so we can get one step closer to being one of the greenest city’s in North America!