We have been removing large oversized rigid plastics (lawn chairs, children’s toys, plastic buckets, etc.) at our expense for some years now. These items have been taken to Victoria and then marketed and sold to China, as there is no domestic market for them at this time. China recently instituted their “National Sword Program”, which aims to eliminate low-quality and contaminated shipments that are sent to them. They are now refusing shipments of some recycled materials. Unfortunately for us, this means we are no longer able to accept this material.
Sadly, at this time the only alternative for these items is for you to take them to the landfill.
We are hopeful that with this glut of product piling up here in BC and indeed across North America, that a domestic market will soon appear to fill this void. We at GIRR will continue to advocate for a program to deal with the large volume of this particular material.
We encourage you to add your voice to this important plastic recycling issue by writing the Ministry of the Environment and encouraging them to update their EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) program or to add a new one. This program puts monetary, regulatory restrictions and responsibilities on those companies that produce the different products that use these materials.
– Ken Stauffer, Operations Manager
