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Mission collects curbside recycling on behalf of Recycle BC who is responsible for residential packaging and paper product recycling throughout British Columbia.
Recycling Contamination Remediation Plan
We're on a mission to cut blue bin contamination by 25%. From educational videos to new social media and website content to in-the-field recycling bin inspections, the campaign is geared toward demystifying the recycling process by sharing practical and handy tips with residents.
Please avoid contaminating recycling. Place only accepted items in your bin. This keeps crews safe and ensures your material is effectively recycled. Don't know where it goes? Download the Recycle Coach app for a quick assist.
What are the top contaminants found in curbside and multi-family recycling?
Through audits regularly conducted by Recycle BC in Mission, they have shared the top five contaminants found in both the curbside and multi-family recycling programs:
- Plastic Products (non-packaging)
- Garbage
- Electronics
- Scrap Metal
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Napkins, Tissues, Paper Towels
Contamination presents significant operational and financial implications to the Recycle BC program by reducing the value of the recyclables and the ability to effectively recycle material.
The City is providing one free blue bin per dwelling unit that receives curbside collection. Homes with a recognized secondary dwelling unit, paying the additional utility user fees, are eligible for an extra bin.
Residents who need more than one bin per unit can purchase additional bins at local retailers. Curbside recycling bins must be designed for manual curbside collection, have a capacity between 75 and 121 litres, have two graspable D-handles, have a tight-fitting lid, and feature a blue sticker to designate them for recyclables collection. Blue stickers are available at no cost at Welton Common (7337 Welton Street), City Hall, and the Leisure Centre.
What goes in the blue bin?
Recycle BC has implemented changes in its guidelines. Shredded paper in transparent plastic bags will no longer be accepted in curbside blue bins.
Starting January 2024, kindly place shredded paper in a securely sealed cardboard box or paper bag for proper disposal.
Mission’s recyclables collection program falls under Recycle BC’s stewardship plan. As such, it covers residential retail packaging and paper only. Product categories include:
- Specific Single-use products (see the full updated list here)
- Rigid plastic packaging (e.g., yoghurt cups, detergent bottles, take-out clam shells, but no Styrofoam™)
- Metal and tin containers (e.g., soup cans, aluminum take-out trays, metal lids)
- Aerosol cans (e.g., hairspray bottles, air freshener cans, cooking oil spray, but no spray paint)
- Mixed paper (e.g., newspaper, magazines, office paper)
- Box board (e.g., cereal boxes, tissue boxes, toilet paper cores)
- Corrugated cardboard
Please make sure containers are emptied and rinsed before placing them in the blue bin. Bring excessive amounts of cardboard, containers and/or paper products to the Mission Recycling Depot.
The City is providing one free black box per dwelling unit that receives curbside collection. Homes with a recognized secondary dwelling unit, paying the additional utility user fees, are eligible for an extra black box.
What goes in the black box?
Mission’s container glass collection program falls under Recycle BC’s stewardship plan. As such, it covers residential container glass packaging (bottles and jars) only, such as pickle and jam jars, glass ketchup and salad dressing bottles, but does not include drinking glasses, ceramics, glass panes, mirrors, and the like.
Please make sure bottles and jars are emptied and rinsed before placing them in the black box. Bring excessive amounts of container glass to the Mission Recycling Depot on Mershon Street or the Bottle Depot on Park Street. The Bottle Depot also pays refund on deposit beverage containers.
More information is also available online at Recycle BC’s website. Check out Recycle BC’s online “WHAT CAN I RECYCLE?” Recycling Materials List, or enter an item into the free Recycle Coach app to see where to recycle it.
Please consult the City’s Curbside Collection Guide for collection limits and information on what can be included in the curbside waste collection.
When is my recycling collected?
Recycling is collected weekly. Please see the Curbside Collection Calendar or download the Recycle Coach app to find out when your scheduled recycling pick-up day is.
What materials can go in blue bins?
“Mixed Recyclables” – the dry recyclable waste that is free from contaminants such as construction, food, or garden waste.
- non-deposit containers (plastic, aluminum, steel, etc.)
- paper cups
- cartons (coffee cups, milk cartons etc.)
- paper and packaging (shoes, crackers, etc.).
See Recycle BC’s online “WHAT CAN I RECYCLE” Recycling Material List to see how to recycle or safely dispose of it in Mission.
What materials CANNOT go in blue bins?
The main materials that are not accepted in the blue bin curbside recycling are:
- Styrofoam
- all stretchy plastic bags (black bags, bin liners, shopping bags, bread wrappers, crisp bags)
- Plastic film & non-recyclables (chip bags, wrappers, cling film, bubble wrap, etc.)
- glass containers (accepted in the black box)
- Coal bags, compost and fertilizer bags, pet-food bags or pouches
- Hard plastics (toys, etc)
- Tin-foil or tin trays (disposable barbecue trays, take-away food containers)
- No meat, poultry or fish (raw or cooked) wrappers, trays or packaging
- Ashes
- Vacuum cleaner bags and contents
- Rocks, bricks, gravel & timber
- Glass/ceramics
- Clothes/shoes
- Green waste (kitchen or garden)
- Dryer sheets and lint
- Personal hygiene products
- Medical waste
- Paint, motor oil, wax or petroleum
- Cigarette butts
- Animal Waste
Can Styrofoam be recycled?
Styrofoam is not accepted in our curbside collection system, but it can be dropped off at a depot to be recycled at these locations:
- Mission Recycling Depot
- Mission Landfill Recycling
- Mission Recycle Centre
For additional information on Mission’s recycling depots, please visit our online Drop-offs Depots & Landfill page section.
Are stretchy plastics recyclable?
Stretchy plastics are not accepted in our curbside collection system, because they can easily damage the sorting equipment/machinery by getting stuck. Instead, they can be dropped off at a depot to be recycled at these locations:
- Mission Recycling Depot
- Mission Landfill Recycling
- Mission Recycle Centre
For additional information on Mission’s recycling depots, please visit our online Drop-offs Depots & Landfill page section.
Can cardboard food containers be recycled?
If the container is clean with no oil residue or food, it can be recycled in your blue bin. If the cardboard is greasy with food still stuck to it, it should be composted.
Should I clean out containers before putting them into my recycling bin?
Yes, please empty containers and clean them out before putting them into your blue bin. This helps minimize contamination from food residue spoiling the recyclability of materials, and reduces smells to prevent attractions of bears.
For additional information on how to prevent attraction of bears, please visit our online Bears & Wildlife page section.
Do I have to remove labels from containers before recycling them?
No, you can leave labels on contains, but please ensure they are empty and rinsed.
Why do I have to sort my curbside recycling?
When recyclables are sorted into three streams (glass, fibres, and containers), we can ensure that more of the materials that are collected are recycled, and improve the performance of your recycling program.
How should I sort my recycling?
Please sort recyclables as follows:
- Use the blue container for non-deposit containers (plastic, aluminum, steel, etc.), paper cups, cartons (coffee cups, milk cartons etc.), paper and packaging (shoes, crackers, etc.).
- Corrugated cardboard that does not fit in containers can be flattened.
- Think outside the kitchen – shampoo bottles, bubble bath, lotions and potions all come in containers that can be recycled. Pop a small bin in your bathroom to remind you to collect all of them.
- It really helps if you thoroughly rinse all items before placing them in your bin, as dirty or unsuitable items could contaminate the entire contents.
- Use the black container for non-deposit glass bottles and jars.
See Recycle BC’s online “WHAT CAN I RECYCLE” Recycling Material List to see how to recycle or safely dispose of it in Mission.
Why were glass and film plastic collected previously, while other materials were not collected, but will now be?
Glass can break during collection and is then difficult to sort from other recyclables, resulting in other materials, such as paper, not being accepted by recycling markets. Film plastics, such as shopping bags and bread bags, can get wrapped up with other recyclables during collection and are then difficult to separate. The Recycle BC program is a Province-wide program and needs to be consistent across the Province to ensure maximum collection.
The larger scale of the program requires certainty of markets, and therefore must address market concerns with glass and film plastic, while at the same time, providing economies of scale for accepting additional materials.
Where can I get more information?
Additional information can be found on Recycle BC’s website, or by emailing or calling the City of Mission’s Engineering Department at 604-820-3736.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs are industry-driven initiatives for waste reduction and recycling, which cover materials not included in the curbside collection service. The cost of recycling is funded by producers and consumers at the time of purchase of these products, so that there are no charges at the time of drop-off.
For more information about recycling the products listed below through an EPR program, please visit the Ministry of Environment’s Product Stewardship online website:
- Beverage Containers
- Electronics & Electrical
- Lead-Acid Batteries
- Packaging and Printed Paper
- Paint Solvents, Pesticides & Gasoline
- Pharmaceuticals
- Tires
- Used Oil & Antifreeze
- Annual Reports and Stewardship Plans