News & Media

Town completes recycling audits on Blue Route

The Town conducted another round of recycling audits earlier in the week, this time along the Blue Route.

We were pleased to find only a small amount of recycling contamination based on our sampling.

The most common contaminant was plastic packaging or 'crinkly' plastic. We also found a few garbage items such as plastic lined paper bags and a couple plastics straws.

Another item we found in small quantities was paper food wrap. These items are often coated with wax or other substances that compromise the end compost product when placed with organics and contaminate recycling bins when in the recycle.

Where do all of these items go?

• Plastic bags and overwrap and other flexible plastic packaging – Peerless Road Recycling Centre (10830 Westdowne Rd) or Junction Bottle Depot (149 Oyster Bay Dr.)
• Straws – Place in curbside garbage (they fall between sorting machinery when in your recycling)
• Soiled pizza boxes or other paper containers – Place in compost if soiled (covered in grease or food), if clean, place in curbside recycling.
• Plastic lined paper bags – Place in curbside garbage (plastic lining contaminates the papers recyclability).
• Food – place in curbside compost.
• Paper food wrap with coating (eg. packaging used for fast food or takeout) – Place in curbside garbage as the wax or chemical coating contaminates compost and recycling.

We will be conducting more audits throughout the summer as we continue to work towards reducing contamination levels in Ladysmith!