The Maple Ridge Recycling Depot works hard to be a one-stop recycling drop-off, so it’s easy to assume there is nothing it can’t recycle.
While markets do open up for new items (the most recent being Styrofoam and cooking oil), there are still many items on the market that cannot be recycled. The most common of these are unlabeled plastics and plastics marked No. 3, 6, or 7.
“Most large items that people think are made of plastic are actually a composite of low-grade plastic, vinyl, and fibreglass,” says depot operations director Lorne Skoropada.
“Unfortunately these items are not recyclable. We only accept plastics with the mobius loop recycling symbol and the Nos. 1, 2, 4, or 5 marked on it. When materials are dropped off at the depot that are non-recyclable, the Society has to pay the garbage drop-off fee.”
• The Maple Ridge Recycling Depot is located at 10092 – 236th Street, just off River Road in the Albion Industrial Park.