The recycling centre has been hopping with new programs and services over the last while. With so much going on, I think it’s worth taking a moment to shine some light on a particularly ambitious and innovative project that we’ve undertaken: Phoenix Plastics, GIRR’s local post consumer recycling program.
To offer some background, in 2023 we received $50,000 in funding from Vancity Foundation for the development of a pilot project for processing post consumer plastics into new product.
The primary objective of the project is to make use of rigid plastics that find their way to Galiano as packaging or product and then fall outside of the existing structure of recycling in BC. By keeping the resource circularity on island and out of the transportation system, we reduce emissions through the reduction of transport demands both to and from the island. It’s a win-win situation.
In addition to that, Phoenix Plastics is being developed as a pilot project pushing us to create a model that is replicable in other remote regions across the province or beyond. This stands to make a much larger impact on community recycling than we could ever hope to achieve on this small island alone.
To support these objectives, the money from Vancity Foundation has been used to purchase equipment, establish a workstation and recruit staff. We have been fortunate to welcome two new staff members with very relatable skills and knowledge to develop the Phoenix Plastics program. Oliver Pirquet and David Gaylor are working closely on Phoenix with Oliver taking the lead on recipes and methodology, and David taking on the duties of community outreach, sourcing post consumer plastics, and eventually sales.
With an operational workstation in place, we have recently produced our first piece of recycled Galiano plastic! This means that we can move on to the next stages of refining our methods, developing systems, and then on to product design. Both Oliver and David have a lot of great ideas on product design which will come in to play as we move forward.
The key ingredient (quite literally) to operating Phoenix Plastics successfully will be receiving residential non-packaging plastics from our community, and commercial plastics from our local businesses. Though we anticipate an evolution to what we can accept and recycle over time, to start we can take plastics that are labeled with the plastic categories: #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, #5 PP, or #6 PS. For households you may find these plastics in non-packaging items such as lawn furniture, storage bins, watering cans, and other house and garden implements. For businesses, industries and institutions, the same categories apply, though we are permitted to accept packaging plastics too. In all cases, suitable materials will be accepted at the recycling depot during regular operating hours; they must be clean and free of contaminants.
As we get further along in the process and are seeking to increase the volume of incoming program materials, you will be hearing more from David. And as things evolve with Phoenix, we will do our best to keep you informed along the way. In the meantime, if you have questions, you are welcome to email David at phoenix.girr@gmail.com or speak with Renée next time you are at the depot. We’re keen to hear from the community and will do our best to answer any questions you have.
Thank you for your interest and support of community recycling on Galiano!
