If you live in a Port Coquitlam townhouse or apartment with city waste pick-up, you may see some “auditors” in your communal bins this and next month.
This week, the city ramped up its Sort it Right! campaign at the 125 multi-family complexes it serves with waste collection, in a bid to educate residents about what can — and can’t — be tossed.
The anti-landfill drive is also aimed to prevent fines against the municipality by Recycle BC and to ready for the regional target of waste diversion of 80%, by 2020.
More than 14,000 tonnes of garbage, recycling and green waste are dumped by city residents each year but audits show more than half of what’s put into the trash could be placed into the recycling or organics container, taken to a recycling depot or in a take-back program.
The most common offenders in the recycling and green carts? Plastic bags, garbage, scrap metal and glass.
“We understand that sorting waste can be confusing,” said Coun. Darrell Penner, chair of the city’s transportation solutions and public works committee, in a news release. “Our hope is that people will take the opportunity to educate themselves so that enforcement isn’t needed.”
This spring, waste cart audits for the city’s 13,217 detached homes begin while businesses with city pick-up will be targeted in the fall.
Meanwhile, the city will also recruit volunteer champions to coach neighbours on waste sorting. For training and resources, call 604-927-5254 or ambassadors@portcoquitlam.ca.
• Visit portcoquitlam.ca/sortitright to learn about the Sort it Right! program and how to dispose of waste properly.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
