Recycling curbside pickup in Maple Ridge will change from the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society to Recycle BC starting in 2025.
Kim Day, executive director of the long-serving local society, said it will be a positive change, and one that is supported by the society’s board. The board was involved in discussions with city hall about the change.
Residents will continue to get weekly pick-up, provided by a company contracted by Recycle B.C., and her organization Ridge Meadows Recycling will work to ensure a seamless transition, said Day.
Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization responsible for recycling packaging and printed paper recycling throughout the province.
Day said moving to pickup by Recycle BC is a step toward making producers responsible for the packaging that enters the waste stream. When the local society was founded in the early 1970s, its founders’ goal was to make producers of waste responsible for it.
“Many people involved with the organization see this as a goal achieved,” said Day.
Recycle BC was formed in 2014 fulfil the provincial Extended Producer Responsibility Recycling Regulation. It is designed to shift responsibility for recycling materials from the consumer to the producer. Recycle BC is funded by businesses such as brand owners, manufacturers and retailers.
Recycle BC will put out a request for proposals for the Maple Ridge pickup service. Ridge Meadows Recycling cannot bid, because the 12 trucks it operates are owned by the city. Day called it an “aging fleet,” and said not replacing it will save the city money.
The city said it will assess financial impacts in coming budgets.
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Maple Ridge is following industry-wide trend, and many cities have already moved to Recycle BC pickup, including Pitt Meadows.
“Definitely, there is some impact for us as an organization,” conceded Day.
The approximately 20 people who work on the recycling trucks as drivers and swampers will no longer be employed by the society. However, given their local knowledge, she is hopeful the new company contracted for pickup will “snap up” these former employees.
The recycling depot and its Supported Work Program will continue to operate. Day said it will be expanding the items it takes in the near future to include mattresses, textiles, furniture, EV batteries and more items.
She is optimistic Ridge Meadows Recycling has a secure future.
“Change is always difficult, but it’s an evolution.”
A city press release noted all the current recyclables will be included when Recycle BC takes over, except that soft plastics such as grocery bags will no longer be picked up at curbside. This is anticipated to be mitigated by the recent federal government regulations banning the majority of single-use plastics by the end of 2024.
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