The District of Squamish is still working with Recycle BC on a replacement recycling depot, but if a resolution is not found soon, Mayor Armand Hurford may write to the province to further advocate for one.
In information released from an in-camera April 9 meeting, or a council meeting closed to the public, council has approved Hurford writing a letter to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Recycle BC “requesting that an interim and permanent solution be identified” for a new recycle depot for Squamish residents.
This information was released in the April 16 regular business meeting agenda, but was not elaborated on at the meeting itself.
According to a Jan. 17 news release, the District received notice in October 2023 that Green For Life (GFL) would end its public recycle depot on Queens Way largely due to space constraints and site safety concerns. The contract between the District and GFL noted that either party could terminate the recycle depot service with six-months notice.
According to a District news release from March 28, the depot will remain open until May 31.
“Although the District of Squamish Landfill and London Drugs include an on-site Recycling Depot, Recycle BC is required to provide depot-only material collection services in Squamish,” reads a news release from March 28. “All efforts are being made to finalize a new drop-off recycling location in order to continue offering the services currently provided at the Queens Way location.”
In January, a District spokesperson told The Squamish Chief that the municipality did not expect any changes to curbside collection services in the foreseeable future.
However, losing a centrally-located recycling depot may not bode well for the District’s efforts to reduce residents’ curbside recycling contamination rate, which currently stands at about 7.84%—over double Recycle BC’s 3% contamination threshold penalty. Currently, top contaminants include glass, books, textiles and plastic.
To reduce glass in curbside totes, the District continues to take on suggestions for areas to put a neighbourhood glass collection station to pilot in 2025. Feedback can be submitted at letstalksquamish.ca/recycling.
