Recycle cans5/2/2023 ![]() ![]() Some provinces also accept the recycling of materials such as paint, tires and even oil. The main things you can recycle in Canada are glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard and some plastics.Įach province maintains its own rules as to what kinds of plastics are accepted, as well as if and what kind of electronics can be recycled. Pizza boxes are not typically recyclable because they are often contaminated with food waste.Foil chip bags and candy wrappers usually can not be recycled, but again, it depends on your municipality’s list of accepted items.Provinces also vary on if and how batteries and electronics are recycled.Each province has different regulations on whether or not lightweight, film plastics (like grocery and produce bags) can be recycled.So, let’s start with the items that are more difficult to or can not be recycled. ![]() It’s difficult to say what can and can not be recycled nation-wide in a single breath because provinces and even municipalities differ in their recycling regulations and infrastructure. What can not easily be recycled in Canada? How can Canadians citizens help improve the national recycling problem? First and foremost is reducing plastic consumption and reusing items before relying on recycling. We also need to diligently clean recyclables and be mindful of what is and isn’t recyclable in the first place. China now requires 99.5% purity and exports that fall short of this figure are shipped back to the source country. In 2018 China declared it would no longer tolerate paper mixed with plastic and the nation certainly wouldn’t accept leftover foods (which should be composted anyway). However, the refuse Canada was shipping abroad was criticized for improper sorting: paper mixed with plastics (which is almost impossible to separate and recycle), plastics contaminated with food scraps, and actual garbage mingling among the recyclables. This export method of disposal is cheap and the Global South often supports a market for recyclables. If not, that one plastic vessel has the potential to contaminate huge amounts of plastic that have been cleaned by other people-and all those plastics will then end up in a landfill rather than actually being recycled.Īdditionally, Canada’s low recycling rate can be attributed to plastic waste " from offices, institutions or industries." Large companies and institutions are less likely to adequately wash plastics while mixing non-recyclable items into recycling bins.Ĭanada's (not-so-little) dirty recycling secretįor many years, Canada was one of many countries shipping recyclables to China and other Asian countries. For example, if a plastic peanut butter tub is about to be recycled, it needs to be thoroughly washed first. This is especially true of containers that once held food. If people realized how few plastic materials can be recycled, they might factor packaging into their purchase decisions.Īnother reason is that in order to be recycled, an item must be clean. There are a variety of contributing factors.įor one thing, many Canadians do not understand which plastics can and can not be recycled. However, Canada has a major recycling problem.ĭid you know that Canadians only recycle 9% of the plastics they consume?! My family certainly did this when I was growing up. Many Canadians use their blue and green bins regularly, religiously returning plastic and glass bottles to recycling depots or setting bins out on the curb for weekly collection. Here’s a quick guide on what you can and can not recycle in Canada, why Canada’s recycling problem is so complex, and how you can become better at recycling. ![]() With so many different types of materials and recycling laws that from vary city-to-city and province-to-province, what can be recycled is not always clear. Recycling in Canada, just like anywhere, is complicated. ![]()
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