vancouver toy drive

Give the Gift of Christmas to a Child: Metro Vancouver Christmas Toy Drives

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vancouver toy driveNo child should miss out on the joy of Christmas because their family is struggling financially or otherwise. These kids deserve to have their dreams come true; they need compassion and support.  You can give the gift of Christmas to a child by donating a new toy, cash or even baby supplies to one of several Metro Vancouver Christmas toy drives. Here’s how:

– Salvation Army Toy Mountain – Drop off a donation of cash or a new unwrapped toy at Toy Mountain in Guildford Mall on December 11 and 12. If you aren’t in the Surrey area, you can also donate by cash or cheque at any Salvation Army church or facility in Metro Vancouver.

– Victor Ghirra Toy Drive – New unwrapped toys are being collected until December 13 by the Victor Ghirra Toy Drive. Donations can be dropped off at any Lower Mainland Cooperators Insurance location, select VanCity branches or Riverside Banquet Hall in Richmond.

Basics for Babies

The Basics for Babies Fundraising Day is coming up on December 14 at the Langley Events Centre. Donations of cash, diapers, formula, baby food, baby cereal, baby wipes, baby shampoo, diaper cream and pacifiers are needed.  Donations of cash and baby supplies are also accepted at your local Metro Vancouver food bank.

Lynn Valley Legion 4th Annual Toy Drive

Bring an unwrapped toy to the Lynn Valley Legion until December 15. There will also be a cash collection on December 14 and 15 during the meat draw and bingo. The toys for this Metro Vancouver Christmas toy drive will be donated to the North Vancouver Salvation Army on December 16.

Family Services of the North Shore Christmas Bureau

Gifts for tweens and teens are the most needed items at the North Shore Christmas Bureau. Gift ideas include accessories, movie passes, gift certificates, sports equipment, electronics, make-up, bath products and art supplies. Donations of unwrapped toys for children of all ages are collected until December 22.

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation Christmas Toy Donations

Bring an unwrapped toy to Volunteer Resources at BC Children’s Hospital by December 15 or make an online donation to bring some Christmas joy to a patient and their siblings. Stuffed animals are not accepted.

West Coast Express Santa Train

Ride the West Coast Express Santa Train to Vancouver for free on December 13 in exchange for your donation of a new, unwrapped toy for your local Christmas bureau. The Santa train departs from Mission at 10 am with stops at all the WCE stations along the way. Enjoy a shopping day followed by a visit with Santa and a return trip back home at 4 pm.

SHARE Family and Community Services Toy Drive

Donate an unwrapped new toy at the SHARE Christmas Tree at Coquitlam Centre until December 24. Drop off is also available at the SHARE Food Bank, SHARE’d Treasures Thrift Store or at SHARE Family and Community Services in Coquitlam.

Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau

Donations of unwrapped new toys to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau can be made at Oakridge Mall and many Vancouver Firehalls until December 24 although fundraising continues year-round! The Lower Mainland Christmas bureau collects and distributes toys to 12 Metro Vancouver Christmas bureaus.

Empty Stocking Fun

The Province Empty Stocking Fund raises money and works with the United Way to support disadvantaged families and children at Christmas. Donations are accepted online, by mail, by phone or in person at The Province promotions desk or at participating HSBC and Scotiabank branches until December 31.

Food Bank

Foodbank donations are always needed, especially during the holidays.  You can make a big difference in the lives of local families and their children with your donation of cash or food items which are often used for Christmas hamper programs during the holiday season.

There is no gift like giving at Christmas. Let the magic begin…

 

*Toy carousel image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

real or artifical christmas trees

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Real Christmas Tree

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real or artifical christmas trees

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is coming and kids young and old are looking forward to decking the halls with the spirit of Christmas, starting with the age old tradition of decorating a Christmas tree. Some of Santa’s elves may ponder the choice between selecting a live tree versus an artificial tree but here at Green Coast Rubbish we recommend keeping it real. Here are the top 10 reasons to buy a real Christmas tree this year:

  1. Bundle up your family and rock the experience of visiting a tree farm and choosing just the right tree for your home. Wander about to look for the Christmas tree that has that something special – whether it is the aroma, colour, height, breadth or Charlie Brownesque style. Be sure to measure your space before you make the drive or fitting your tree into the house could be interesting!
  2. Buying local supports the 450 Christmas tree growers in BC who produce approximately 900,000 Christmas trees annually creating jobs and economic benefits.
  3. Visit a Christmas tree lot run by a local charity to buy your real Christmas tree and support a great causes like Aunt Leah’s Place  or the Lynn Valley Lion’s Club.
  4. Buy a potted Christmas tree and you’ll have a new tree to plant in your yard in the Spring. Or rent one that can be returned and reused year after year!
  5. Christmas tree farms create oxygen and remove greenhouse gases from the air. In contrast, artificial trees create factory pollution and may travel thousands of kilometres to reach Canada from their country of origin, contributing to global warming.
  6. Artificial trees are usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC ) which contains phthalates (a type of plasticizer) which have been identified as potential health concerns.
  7. Live Christmas trees are biodegradable and recyclable. While artificial trees typically last 7 – 10 years, they are neither recyclable nor biodegradable and often end up in the landfill.
  8. Real Christmas tree recycling and composting options are readily available in local municipalities throughout Metro Vancouver and elsewhere.
  9. Composted real Christmas trees can be used as mulch for gardens and parks.
  10. What could be more traditional at Christmas than a gorgeous fragrant Canadian grown spruce or fir tree in your living room?

Recycling Resources in BC

Recycling Resources in Metro Vancouver and BC

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It’s not unusual to feel a little like Sherlock Holmes when you are trying to figure out where in the world to recycle or dispose of your old stuff.  You can use basic deductive reasoning and call your local municipality or recycling centre to try and get some answers. You can just pile up your old TV, propane cannisters, paint cans and other old stuff in the back of your garage in the hopes that it will magically disappear (or call Green Coast Rubbish to come and recycle it for you!). Or like Sherlock Holmes, you can do some “elementary” research using one of these great recycling resources to solve even the most puzzling recycling mysteries.

Recycling Resources in BC

1. BC Recyclepedia Smart Phone App 

We like this handy little app which offers recycling options throughout British Columbia for over 70 materials. Select the item(s) you want to recycle or dispose of from the pick list and you will receive a list of the 10 nearest depot’s and a Google map with directions. Download this free app onto your iPhone or Android device or view the same information on the Recyclepedia web page.

2. Metro Vancouver Recycles

Residents and businesses can visit the Metro Vancouver Recycles web page to find places to donate or recycle just about anything. You will be asked to select the material you wish to recycle or dispose of and provide your location information to get a list of suitable recycling options.

3. North Shore Recycling – Recycling Directory

If you live on the North Shore you are probably already familiar with North Shore Recycling; however their recycling directory is a great resource for all Metro Vancouver residents. This extensive directory describes where you can recycle your items as well as connecting you with detailed information on provincial stewardship programs and other resources.

4. Recycling Hotline

When all else fails and you can’t solve the mystery of where to take your items for recycling, the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s Recycling Hotline is the place to call. You’ll find an expert at the end of the line who will be able to do the detective work for any recycling or disposal mysteries you may be experiencing. Call 604-RECYCLE; 604-732-9253; or 1-800-667-4321 or email hotline@rcbc.ca.

5. Sell or Donate It

Sell or donate your reusable stuff to others using one of a variety of local websites such as:

No mystery here Watson. Just some good old fashioned detective work!

 

10 Easy Ways to Winterize Your Home and Save Energy

10 Easy Ways to Winterize Your Home and Save Energy

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Winter is coming. Not a Game of Thrones winter where you’ve got to get north of the wall before the Others get you. But it will be a cold, wet, rainy and sometimes snowy Canadian winter. So how can you stay warm and cozy inside your house while staving off those seasonally high gas and electricity bills? Here are 10 easy ways to winterize your home, save energy, and help fight global warming and air pollution all at the same time: Read more

demolition

Deconstructing Vancouver’s Green Demolition Bylaw

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Home owners and property developers in the city of Vancouver will follow new demolition waste recycling requirements for houses built before 1940 thanks to the Green Demolition Bylaw which went into effect on September 1, 2014. From now on, a minimum of 75% of the demolition waste from these older homes will be recycled; and that number increases to 90% for character houses from the same era.

We had the opportunity to interview Senior Sustainability Specialist Hugo Haley from the City of Vancouver to find out more about the Green Demolition Bylaw and what it means for home owners and developers. Here’s what he was able to share with us:

Q:  What led the City of Vancouver to establish these new recycling requirements for pre-1940’s houses?

demolition

Traditional demolition sends tonnes of waste to our landfills.

A: Metro Vancouver’s regional solid waste plan requires all municipalities to do more to encourage recycling of construction and demolition waste. Also, the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan’s Zero Waste goal is to reduce the amount of solid waste disposed to landfill by 50% by 2020. To achieve this goal, the City intends to improve demolition waste recycling performance, and put in place policies to achieve 50,000 tonnes additional recycling from the demolition and construction waste sector.

Q: What is the difference between a pre-1940’s home to one that was built later that prompted this policy? Will newer home demolitions become subject to similar recycling requirements in the future?

A: Homes built before 1940 often have valuable architectural features … built with old growth timber and other valuable materials. The City would like to discourage older character homes from being demolished … if they are going to be demolished, the City wants to ensure that a high percentage of demolition materials are reused or recycled. In the future, the City would like to include recycling requirements for all ages classes of homes to make sure valuable and usable materials are kept out of the landfill.

Q: What is “deconstruction” and why is it being used to demolish these older homes?

A: Deconstruction is an alternative to traditional demolition. Deconstruction is a more systematic and careful approach to taking apart the house where more of the materials are kept intact and can then be separated for reuse and recycling.

deconstruction

Deconstruction techniques allow higher recycling rates.

Q: Is this new bylaw unique in Metro Vancouver, perhaps even in North America?

A: These requirements are not unique in North America. There are numerous municipalities in the United States that require demolition waste recycling, with California’s requirements applying state wide. Cities with similar policies include Chicago, Seattle, San Fransicso and Boulder. In Metro Vancouver, the city of Port Moody has such a policy.

Q: Do you have any relevant statistics you can share including how many demolitions and how much material you think will be diverted from the landfill each year?

A: There are about 1,000 homes demolished in the city of Vancouver every year. About 350 of those are from the pre-1940 era and subject to the new requirements. We expect about 12,000 tonnes of additional reuse and recycling to be achieved in the first year … This amount will increase as the requirements extend to more homes.

Green Coast Rubbish President & CEO Eamonn Duignan wrote a letter to Council in support of the new bylaw saying “we whole heartily support this policy initiative … far too often we see reusable or recyclable material landfilled, simply because there is no regulatory framework in place.”

Green Coast Rubbish specializes in demolition and deconstruction services.

If you are considering the deconstruction of a pre-1940’s home, here are some helpful links for more information:

Our Horizon – Green Information at the Gas Pump

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It’s always inspiring to encounter passionate people who are trying to make a difference to the environment. It’s all the more impressive when they are setting an example at a young age.

Recently Emily Kelsall, a 16-year-old West Vancouver resident contacted us about a non-profit campaign she believes in called Our Horizon. This project is actively working toward changing the way that government and the general public think about fuel consumption by placing information graphics on fuel pumps. Similar to warning labels on cigarettes, they believe that adding this visual reminder to gas nozzles will help prompt consumers to be more mindful about the long term effects of fossil fuels on climate change.

Our Horizon Fuel Pump. Source: http://ourhorizon.org/

Rob Shirkey, a former lawyer and the founder of the project, delivers an excellent TED talk on why this simple idea could have a lasting impact on the public. By inspiring individuals who care about the environment, Our Horizon also encourages people to speak to their local municipal officials to help make bigger changes in their communities and across the country. In the Lower Mainland, Emily has gotten a lot of support and media coverage. She has been featured in the Globe & Mail, and on Global TV, and the list of companies and individuals who endorse this idea keeps growing.

At Green Coast Rubbish, we regularly see how small changes in behavior can add up over time. Sometimes it can just take a little reminder to jog our brains into making better greener choices. We wish all the success to Emily and the Our Horizon project in getting these information labels at gas stations in Metro Vancouver in the near future!

Pacific Carpet Recycling

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We love to work closely with green conscious businesses who care as much the environment as we do. That’s why we’re really excited to have Pacific Carpet Recycling as a partner. They are the only carpet and underlay recycler in Vancouver, and they’re doing great work around the Lower Mainland.

Nothing but carpet from floor to ceiling. Green Coast parked at the Pacific Carpet Recycling warehouse.

Carpet is something that most people take for granted; not really giving it much thought until they are looking to renovate a space. But the amount of waste created from carpet being thrown into our landfills is mindblowing — as much as 80 million lbs are thrown into garbage dumps in Metro Vancouver alone! Even worse, it can take as long as 50 years for it to break down once it’s in there. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Being a petroleum-based product, many types of carpet and underlay are recyclable, and can be made into new flooring, clothing, furniture, auto parts, and other items we use on a daily basis.

Peter Cox the man behind Pacific Coast Recycling. Nothing but smile and carpet!

In recent years, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) carpet has gained popularity, because it’s manufactured using recycled pop bottles. In theory, this sounds like an excellent green alternative, but at the present time there are no effective means to recycle carpet once it is made from this material. If you are looking for the most environmentally mindful flooring, PCR suggests opting for Nylon carpeting instead, which is completely recyclable.

Though Pacific Carpet Recycling does not deal directly with the consumer public, Green Coast Rubbish has partnered exclusively with them, allowing us to remove the carpet from your home or business (and any other waste that you might need hauled away) and deliver it to PCR on your behalf. If you have any questions about recycling carpet, or the work we do at Green Coast Rubbish, please never hesitate to contact us.

Plastics

Plastics: A Complex Issue

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Plastics can be found in every aspect of our lives, and its widespread use has changed us as a society. On one hand, it has allowed many products to be manufactured more quickly and inexpensively; on the other, the environmental repercussions have been significant.

The amount of waste produced from plastics has created many complex issues, including negatively impacting the health of our oceans. Tidal currents cause discarded plastics to collect in many areas, where they are consumed by fish, mammals, and birds — trickling down into every part of the food chain (including humans). Between 60-80% of all debris found in the water are plastic — there’s a floating mass in the Pacific Ocean approximately the size of Texas.  And because plastics are an extremely durable material, they can take decades to breakdown once they are disposed, meaning they just accumulate in our landfills. Since the 1950’s, over a billion tonnes of plastics have been thrown away. This number is almost incomprehensible to most of us.

Thankfully, things are slowly beginning to change. Advancements in plastics technology have made some forms of plastics biodegradable — allowing them to disintegrate when exposed to water, or sunlight. Recycling programs have expanded in many cities to include more options for processing.

More recently, innovative businesses like The Plastic Bank have developed, placing more value on plastics — in turn encouraging the collection, recycling, and reuse of more of these materials in developing countries. All these steps begin to address the issues of how to deal with the overabundance of plastics in our country, and throughout the world.

At Green Coast Rubbish we work together with the North Shore Recycling Drop-off Depot for soft as well as numbered plastics, and for blended plastics and PVC piping we utilize Blue Planet Recycling Ltd. In 2013, we helped keep over 2 tonnes of plastics from our landfills and oceans. We were happy to see that Vancouver has recently changed its blue box program in May 2014 to include clamshell packaging (and more).

There are many kinds of plastics, and the rules of what can and can’t be recycled can get confusing. The David Suzuki Foundation has an excellent list which explains the differences, and various types.

Though recycling is an excellent way to help keep more plastic waste out of our landfills, ultimately, being mindful at the point of sale is important too. Plastic items will be stamped with a number on the bottom (designating how & if that material can be recycled). If there is no number present, there is a good chance that item will end up in a landfill. Being informed about your purchases before you buy is the best way to ensure you’re choosing items that are good for you, while still being good to our environment. Reduce when you can. Reuse what you’re able. Recycle when it’s done. Our environment will thank you for it!

Blue Box Recycling

Changes to Blue Box Recycling in Vancouver

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Vancouver recently has made some new changes to their recycling program. This is excellent news for Vancouverites, as we can now add even more items to our blue boxes.

All these little things add up to so much waste that is being kept out of our landfills. Combined with the recent changes to the composting program, Vancouver is taking great steps toward becoming an even greener city. We at Green Coast are ecstatic about the changes and look forward to seeing more recyclable materials added to this program.

Blue Box Recycling_525

Things you can now add into your blue box are:

For a complete list of items and descriptions of what can and can’t be put into your blue box, check out the City of Vancouver’s comprehensive list here. Another great resource for information about recycling in BC can be found here at Multi Material BC. Happy recycling!

Hoarders

Cleaning of Hoarding Properties

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Hoarding is a compulsive behavior that can cause people to collect excessive amounts of items, animals, or garbage in their homes, and feel unwilling or incapable of getting rid of them. It’s an extremely complex issue that can have many negative psychological, health, and safety implications-to the individuals within the space, as well as building owners and surrounding neighbors.

Here are just a few examples of the types of situations we’ve seen:

We removed and recycled 6.4 tonnes of books and paper from this one bedroom apartment in North Vancouver, BC!

Besides having the potential to cause tens of thousands of dollars in property damage, hoarding can also pose threatening health and safety risks, and the accumulation of garbage can lead to infestations of vermin and insects.

Hoarding 2

There are hundreds of instances of hoarding throughout the Lower Mainland every year. In extreme cases, some properties have caught fire, or had permanent structural damage to buildings. The issue has gotten so serious that the City of Vancouver has set up a Hoarding Action Response Team to help address the issues, in areas such as the Downtown Eastside.

Haording 1

For property owners and building managers, dealing with the aftermath of tenant hoarders can feel like a nightmare. At Green Coast Rubbish, we’ve had extensive hands-on experience tackling these types of situations. We alleviate the stress by helping clients and their families sort, remove, and dispose of any and all unwanted items — and ensure that everything is diverted or recycled through the proper channels. For more information about our range of services, please feel free to contact us.