Abbotsford – The City of Abbotsford is reminding all residents to pitch in and reduce the amount of contaminated recycling collected through the residential curbside pickup program. Reducing contamination at the household level will help to minimize waste and support the City’s continued participation in the Recycle BC program.
Since 2023, the City has made significant efforts to support residents and businesses in decreasing their recycling contamination and meet the standards set out by Recycle BC, which provides incentive fees to the City in exchange for collecting curbside recycling on their behalf. This partnership helps keep the cost of curbside recycling service low, provided collected materials are able to be recycled. However, despite concerted efforts, including increased community education, waste sorting workshops, on-street cart inspections, and the use of automated truck technology to identify contaminants, Abbotsford has not met our recycling contamination reduction target.
Roughly 7.4 per cent of materials placed in curbside recycling carts are not accepted in the curbside program, often contaminating otherwise acceptable items or creating hazards to recycling collection and processing staff. Unless contamination rates improve, the City may face substantial fines from Recycle BC. These fines could result in increased costs to residents, including higher recycling service rates, additional penalties for repeat offenders, and even suspension of curbside recycling services for households that continue to place incorrect materials in their carts.
To keep the City of Abbotsford’s curbside recycling program affordable and sustainable, all residents must do their part to recycle correctly.
To further support residents in improving their recycling habits, the City will continue providing educational information and outreach in a variety of ways. Recycling ambassadors will inspect carts on collection days, attend community events, and share guidance on how to properly sort waste. Additional tips, resources and updates will be shared through the curbside collection app, utility notices and on the City’s social media channels.
Residents are strongly encouraged to review the City’s waste-sorting guide, use the Waste Wizard tool, and learn proper sorting practices to not only reduce household recycling contamination rates but help protect the City’s curbside recycling program for the future.
A waste-sorting guide, the City’s Waste wizard and additional recycling information and resources can be found at www.abbotsford.ca/waste.
