Spring is great for gardening but it also creates all kinds of yard cleanup challenges for homeowners. Imagine your old lawn mower has broken down or the weed wacker stopped working half way through the job. Your pruned tree branches are everywhere and it’s starting to get overwhelming. So how do you recycle this stuff? These spring yard cleanup recycling tips from the team at Green Coast Rubbish will help to get you started!
Yard Waste
Most municipalities pick up yard waste in your green bin weekly so it’s usually pretty easy to dispose of the small stuff like grass, leaves, flowers, and weeds. However, if you’ve got extra large amounts of green waste or larger items such as tree branches, bushes, stumps and shrubs, another option may be needed. Green waste can be recycled for a fee at your local Waste Transfer Station or be sure to check Metro Vancouver Recycles for other options in your local community.
Pesticides & Gasoline
What do you do if you find an old stash of unusable gardening pesticides or gasoline in your shed? In BC, these materials may be recycled under the Product Care program. In order for pesticides to be accepted, they need to have a poison symbol (skull and crossbones) and a pest control product number. There is no charge to drop-off leftover pesticides or flammables that are accepted by the program.
Lawn Mowers, Weed Trimmers & Outdoor Power Equipment
There are two things you can do when your lawn mower, weed trimmer or other outdoor power equipment stops working. If you’re handy you can try to fix it, or you can check if it’s under warranty and get it repaired. If it’s a lost cause or too expensive to fix, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute of Canada Stewardship program will accept any electric or battery powered equipment for recycling. Outdoor power equipment that relies on a fuel-powered engine is not included in the program, however many collection sites may accept them, at their discretion.
One-Stop Recycling
There are a few one-stop recycling locations to keep in mind for any additional yard clean up or spring cleaning you have planned. Each facility has its own list of recyclables that they will accept. All you have to do is sort your items into the appropriate bin or area.
- Metro Vancouver transfer stations – including Coquitlam, Langley, North Shore
- Ridge Meadows Recycling Society
- Vancouver Zero Waste Centre
Be sure to download the BC Recyclepedia Smart Phone App to have over 1,000 drop-off locations and recycling solutions at your fingertips or call the RCBC hotline at 604-RECYCLE or 1-800-667-4321.
Hire Green Coast Rubbish
Call in the experts from Green Coast Rubbish to help you with your spring home and yard cleanup. We will divert the materials we pick up away from the landfill through reuse and recycling programs, and by working with deserving organizations like Habitat for Humanity. We’re fast, we’re affordable, and we’ll make your recycling headaches vanish while protecting the environment! Give us a call at 604.230.4530 or email pickup@www.greencoastrubbish.com
