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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.

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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.

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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.

Organic Recycling

Disposal Ban of Organics in Metro Vancouver

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Vancouver continues to move toward its goal of becoming the Greenest City by 2020. By imagining solutions and opportunities that can help residents and businesses to more effectively deal with household waste, they get closer every year. It’s estimated that nearly 35-40% of everything that we throw away is food waste; if diverted into a composting system, this adds up to a substantial amount kept out of our landfills. Which is why, starting in 2015, Metro Vancouver will be instating a ban on disposing organics and food waste into regular garbage bins.

There are huge community and environmental benefits to composting. As the food waste breaks down through natural processes, it can create valuable fertilizers that can help to enrich the soil with potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions and lengthens the life of our existing landfills, saving valuable space and local resources.

For some eye-opening stats on the amount of organic waste produced every day, as well for solutions on how to responsibly dispose of compastable waste visit our past blog Getting Serious About Organic Waste Reduction.  If you are interested  to learn more about the process that your organic waste goes through when it is processed you can check-out Part 2 of our Organic Waste Reduction blog.

Some things that can go into the compost bin:

  • Fruit & vegetable scraps
  • Eggshells, dairy
  • Meat & fish bones
  • Teabags
  • Coffee filters & grounds
  • Breads, pasta, rice
  • Food soiled paper products (pizza boxes, napkins, cardboard egg cartons)
  • Grass, leaves, weeds, plants
  • Cooked food & grease

Some prohibited items:

  • Any type of plastic (including compostable/biodegradable plastic bags)
  • Rocks, soil
  • Diapers
  • Animal waste
  • Wood products & lumber
  • Branches bigger than 10 cm (4″)  in diameter, and more than 0.5m (1.6ft) in length

These developments are very much in-line with the ideology of Green Coast Rubbish. We’ve seen the evidence firsthand of how much these compostable items can add up – in 2013 alone, we diverted 30.39 tonnes of organic material! By actively working together toward creating composting solutions with Metro Vancouver, we can all contribute to the success of this important program in our communities.

For more information about composting and the upcoming ban on organics, check out the Metro Vancouver website, and the City of Vancouver’s Green Bin Program.

BBB Torch Awards

2013 BBB Torch Awards Winner: Green Coast Rubbish

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We are thrilled to announce that Green Coast Rubbish has been named the winner of the Better Business Bureau’s 2013 Torch Awards in the ‘Green’ category! This is such a big honor for us, and we’re stoked to have been recognized in a category that has previously awarded the distinction to hugely impactful businesses such as: The David Suzuki Foundation, LuluLemon, BC Association of Farmer’s Markets, SPUD!, and LunaPads International. We are thankful and humbled, and it reiterates our mandate toward offering the highest level of waste removal and recycling services for customers around the North Shore and the Lower Mainland.

But we couldn’t do it alone. Working toward a cleaner future is a collaborative effort, and we absolutely could not have done it without the generous support of our local clients, partners, and associations within our community.

Since Day 1, GCR has been driven by our desire to preserve and protect our beautiful surroundings here in BC, and each year that commitment deepens. Whenever possible, we divert and donate materials to local non-profit organizations that can put them to good use (over 9 tonnes of goods & material in total, this past year alone). Since 2010, we’ve kept over 522 tons of waste materials away from our local landfills by recycling or diverting them (a 76% diversion rate), with our ultimate goal being a 100% diversion by 2020. And while our business is built upon helping clients effectively manage their waste, we also believe in consciously working toward bettering our own environmental footprint on a daily basis. In 2012, we managed to reduce our personal greenhouse gas emissions by 7.73%. We can all contribute to a greener future, and the smallest actions can make a notable impact on the larger environmental picture.

The BBB Torch Awards! Source: BBB Facebook Album http://on.fb.me/1b6kIEf

From our entire team at Green Coast Rubbish, we want to thank you for your continued support of our business. By being mindful, and working to recycle, reduce, reuse, and rethink — the future is looking better and brighter—one step at a time.

Paint Removal and Recycling

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Often the easiest way to brighten and freshen up your space is to add a coat of paint. While it can work wonders to liven up your home or office, sometimes we find ourselves with an excess left-over, and are unsure of where/how to safely dispose of it. The BC Product Care Association website suggests always keeping in mind the BUD rule when purchasing materials:

  • B – Buy only the amount you need.
  • U – Use all the paint you buy.
  • D – Dispose of any leftover paint safely.

To cut down on waste, it’s a good idea to calculate how much you’ll need initially for your project before you begin. Most paint retailers are happy to help estimate the amount you will require, which will save money and minimize paint wastage. But regardless of how closely you estimate, often you’re still left with at least a little bit remaining. If you can’t re-purpose the paint for use in future touch-ups or other projects (in the case of lighter colours, they can sometimes be used as primers), there are environmentally mindful ways of disposing of it.

Green Coast Rubbish often helps our clients deal with removing excess materials such as paint, stain, and shellac, and diverts them to depots who specialize in their safe processing. In 2012 alone, GCR helped recycle more than 2438 litres! Many of the facilities around the Lower Mainland even offer programs where they simply give the paint away free to those who can make use of it (as long as the remaining product is properly sealed and still labeled). By being inventive about ways that we can re-purpose paint, we can make our spaces and communities more beautiful, while still protecting the earth in the process.

For more information about the types of products that can be recycled, check out the BC Product Care website. If you have questions about the types of products and waste Green Coast Rubbish can handle on behalf of your home or your business – never hesitate to drop us a line.

Foam Only & Styrofoam Recycling

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The use of Styrofoam in packaging has created an alarming amount of waste in our landfills over the past few decades. Styrofoam or EPE (expanded polystyrene) is comprised of 98% air, and is non-biodegradable—which means that it will not break down on its own for a tremendous length of time. We often work with commercial clients who deal with an immense amount of Styrofoam, with no idea of where to safely dispose of it. Every 2-3 months, Green Coast Rubbish helps our customers recycle between 50-90 yards of Styrofoam by working in conjunction with another environmentally-minded local business, Foam Only.

By compressing the EPE, Foam Only can transform this material so it can be eventually be up-cycled and used for consumer items such as picture frames and door mouldings. Foam Only’s process of breaking down the EPE is fascinating. Check out the video:

We routinely work with a number of commercial clients to address their EPE disposal and logistical needs. In a recent project, we helped to recycle nearly 90 yards of Styrofoam in a single afternoon.

When compressed, the 90 yards of Styrofoam ends up being condensed into a single solid block. Pretty amazing.

One of these blocks repressents the 90 yards of foam we recycled

By building and maintaining this important partnership with Foam Only, we assist our clients in properly disposing of this harmful waste in more environmentally viable ways.

Electronics Recycling and E-Waste

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We live in a pretty amazing time. It seems every week, an announcement for some new technology changes the face of televisions, computers, or cell phones. Electronics are getting smaller (or in the case of TV’s, BIGGER), faster, and more equipped to handle all the tasks in our busy lives. But it comes at a cost. With a built-in obsolesce period for most gadgets being less than 2 years, people are finding themselves with basements and attics full of old TVs, printers, and VCR’s (remember those?). It all adds up to a huge amount of waste here in Canada each year.

It seems that many people are just unsure of what to do with it all. This fascinating (and somewhat alarming) StatsCan website shows the percentage of Canadians who have unwanted electronics in their households… in British Columbia, up to 31% of homes have unused televisions in their homes! Just wander down any alley in the Vancouver, and it’s likely that you’ll see abandoned electronics left beside dumpsters. Unfortunately, if they are not properly disposed of, these devices can get thrown into landfills, or sent to developing countries where they are dismantled for metal or parts; oftentimes without safety equipment. If handled improperly, the individuals doing it can be exposed to dangerous substances such as mercury, lead, and chromium—all known to be extremely toxic to humans, animals, and the environment.

We can help. Whether it’s a massive TV, old CRT monitor, or burnt out computer tower; whatever you have, we can take care of it for you. Quickly, easily and in the most environmentally conscious way possible. In 2012 alone, Green Coast Rubbish recycled 5.1 tonnes of electronics, and nearly 3 tonnes of TV’s. (Which, for those who are curious, equals roughly the same weight as an African Elephant).

After pickup, we work together with Encorp, a federally incorporated, not-for-profit association who is committed to recycling within our communities. They ensure that e-waste is properly processed, with all usable components diverted, and any remaining parts disposed of in safe and ethical ways.

You have a lot on your mind. Having these items collecting dust in your home creates both physical and mental clutter in your life. With a single call, we can handle it, and you can get back to focusing on what’s most important.

 

 

ReStore and Habitat for Humanity

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Taking care of the environment, and helping people in our communities: these are two fundamental ideas we’ve built our company on from the start. They help us strive to reuse or recycle many unwanted materials, keeping them out of our landfills. If those materials can then be used to help local families put a roof over their heads, why wouldn’t we do everything possible to make that happen?

Because we care so much about this, we like to give shout-outs to similar minded businesses who are working hard to make a difference. One such business is ReStore, which opened it’s doors recently in North Vancouver.

ReStore is a non-profit organization that sells new and used building and home improvement materials that have been donated to them by builders and homeowners; with 100% of the money raised going toward Habitat for Humanity initiatives in the Greater Vancouver area. Run almost entirely by volunteers, ReStore/HH helps to provide modest-income families with affordable, accessible housing options (while at the same time giving some pretty sweet deals to people looking for items to complete renovation projects around their homes).

We believe in the great things that organizations like Habitat for Humanity are doing locally, so whenever possible GCR salvages usable material from the jobs we do and donates them. A recent demolition of an office on the North Shore allowed us to dismantle approximately 790 glass blocks from their walls and send them to ReStore—which could potentially translate to a resale value of thousands of dollars—toward their efforts in helping more people have homes in our communities.

Last year alone we were able to donate approximately 9 tonnes of various goods and materials to charities throughout Vancouver who can make good use of them. Check out what ReStore is doing; they are located at 126 Harbour Avenue in North Vancouver. 

A Solution for All of Your Renovation Waste

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Are you renovating? If you are or are planning to, then you are going to be blessed with a HUGE amount of construction waste. Don’t just rent a bin and send it to the local landfill. I have a better solution.

This solution will allow you to sleep well at night knowing that you are not adding to the world’s massive garbage problem. Call North Vancouver based GREEN COAST RUBBISH for all of that recycling, composting, demolition and tree waste. In 2012, they diverted  76% of the waste they picked up to alternative recycling and waste recovery streams. A company with a purpose and a mission. Read more of GreenKick.ca’s blog post on us. 

Be sure to check out Michele Partridge’s GreenKick.ca for all that is green.  You’ll find tips on how to live a greener, healthier lifestyle. Thanks for the great profile and the kind words Michele!

Fueled by Biodiesel

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Green Coast just got bigger, better and a little more green. We are extremely fortunate to have recently hit a milestone, our 7th birthday, and to be experiencing a very busy 2013 to-date. In order to keep up with the demand for a greener and cleaner future we have expanded our carrying capabilities with an addition to our fleet-a GMC W4500 truck which will be 100% fueled by Biodiesel.

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.