Organics, Paper, and Plastic Still Not Being Recycling in Townhouse and Apartment Complexes

The Metro Vancouver Regional District conducts annual studies to determine what people put in their garbage. I've posted about these studies on the blog over the years. These studies aim to help inform our region's waste diversion programs, such as green bins, blue bins, and depot recycling programs.

Like most people in Metro Vancouver, I live in attached housing (also known as multifamily housing.) Attached housing has lower waste diversion rates than detached housing (also known as single-family housing.)

From my experience, one reason for the lower diversion rate is that common garbage/recycling/green rooms in most apartment buildings and townhouse complexes make it easier to "cheat." For example, some people consistently threw recyclable materials into the garbage bin in my previous apartment complex. The waste hauler would empty the big garage bin every week, regardless of whether it had banned materials. In my former strata, we spent a lot of time educating people on how recycling, green bins, and garbage worked, and we did see success. Of course, this was only because a few of us on the strata council were passionate about reducing garbage.

I now live in a townhouse, and each unit has its own pickup, just like detached housing. However, I have noticed that the waste haulers are more picky and won't take garbage bins with recyclable or green material in them.

So this is easier said than done, but the Regional District should increase ongoing education about waste collection for people living in attached housing. Another key would be to work with waste haulers to improve their enforcement/fines for strata and rental property owners who consistently put banned material in the garbage bins. Increasing education and enforcement at the source would go a long way to increasing waste diversion.

Compostable organics, plastic, and paper were the top materials in attached housing garbage bins in 2023, as shown in the following chart.

Overall Garbage Composition by Primary Category. Select chart to enlarge.

These are all super easy to recycle or put in a green bin. You can learn more by reading the full 2023 report.