Langley – Forty-five tonnes of potentially toxic material was kept out of the landfill and thousands of items were collected for recycling during another successful Household Hazardous Waste Plus Recycling Event.
Presented by the Township of Langley and Langley City, the annual opportunity to safely dispose of products that can be harmful to people and the environment was held October 21 and 22, and saw an increase in the number of people using the service, and the amounts collected.
During the course of the weekend, 960 vehicles came through the Township’s Operation Centre to drop off everything from antifreeze to electronics – an increase of 310 vehicles over last year.
Thirty-two tonnes of hazardous materials such as bleach, brake fluid, acids, herbicides, paint strippers, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, and cleaners were dropped off this year, up 8.5 tonnes from 2016.
Thirteen tonnes of paint-related materials, including paint, thinners, and solvents, were collected, up four tonnes from last year. As well, 11 mega bags and eight pallets of electronics and small appliances were collected for recycling, an increase of six mega bags and six pallets from 2016.
This year’s event saw car and small truck tires collected for the first time, and 536 were brought in.
“Township and City of Langley residents seem to appreciate the ‘one-stop-drop’ service,” said Township Solid Waste Coordinator Debbie Fleming. “We appreciate residents taking the time to bring their materials and taking care to ensure their items are recycled or disposed of in a safe and responsible manner.”
The event also benefitted the community by collecting non-perishable food items for the Langley Food Bank. “A lot of residents were very generous in bringing some nice donations,” Fleming said. “This year we collected three shopping carts full.”
Organizers noted that the number of vehicles dropping off items was about the same on both days, but longer lineups were experienced on the Saturday, as more vehicles had much higher volumes of material.
Those who couldn’t attend the event or would like to safely dispose of household materials year-round can visit local recycling depots. For locations and details, visit rcbc.ca or tol.ca/hhw.
