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Letter: Let us recycle all recyclables in PoCo

The Editor, Re. “Fix recycling system” (Letters, The Tri-City News, Sept. 7).
recycle
A city of Port Coquitlam ambassador photographs the recycling in a municipal cart.

The Editor,

Re. “Fix recycling system” (Letters, The Tri-City News, Sept. 7).

The two letter writers have it right: The recycling system, at least in Port Coquitlam, is broken.

I wrote about this a couple of years back and nothing much has changed. We were better off before MMBC, now called Recycle BC, got involved.

There is so many restrictions on what one can or can’t put in the recycling bin, most folks are confused. And as one letter writer put it, the easier you make it, the more people will comply and be encouraged to do the right thing.

Here’s an idea: Have Recycle BC collect ALL recyclables and process them. It seems Lower Mainland cities are being controlled by Recycle BC — it dictates what can and can’t be collected.

Much of what won’t be collected can be recycled but residents have to travel to other locations to drop off those materials. This is extra cost and inconvenience are we pay our city taxes for these services to be provided.

Other places, both in Canada and in other countries, somehow manage to do this. Just think, it’s creating jobs (for sorters) and only one vehicle, admittedly a truck, does the carting, against everyone using their cars to deliver recyclables to other locations.

As well, no amount of online or printed guides is going to help because most people don’t read them. The only guide you need is the recycling symbol on the product container.

I don’t mind admitting that I’m a conscientious objector. If any packaging has a recycling symbol on it, it goes into my recycling container.

If more people did this, someone might take notice because no one is paying attention to common sense at the present time.

Brian Wormald,
Port Coquitlam