For the third year, Port Coquitlam will provide additional curbside recycling pickup over the holidays to help residents deal with their extra seasonal waste.

The City’s recycling trucks will visit all five collection zones over the course of Dec. 26 and 27, which would typically be non-collection days due to statutory holidays. Recycling is picked up biweekly in Port Coquitlam, which sometimes left households with full blue carts over the holidays, depending on their pickup days.

The additional pickup will take place:

• Dec. 26: Zones 3, 4 and part of Zone 5 (Langan Street and streets to the north).
• Dec. 27: Zones 1, 2 and the rest of Zone 5 (south of Langan Street).

For an updated schedule, reminders and other tools, residents receiving City waste services are encouraged to download the free PoCo Sort & Report app from portcoquitlam.ca/sortreport. Details are also posted on the Collection Schedule & Zone Map page at portcoquitlam.ca/waste.

If residents find they need additional recycling capacity on a regular basis, they can upgrade from a 240 litre cart to a 360 litre cart for $10 per year, or obtain an additional 240-litre or 360-litre cart for an annual fee of $20 or $30 respectively. Contact 604.927.5496 or email publicworks@portcoquitlam.ca for more information.

More Holiday Recycling Options

Additional holiday recycling options include taking material to a depot or the Coquitlam Recycling and Waste Centre or the annual tree chipping event by Port Coquitlam Fire & Emergency Services, taking place Jan. 7 and 8 in 2023.

Recycling depot options are posted at portcoquitlam.ca/recycling, while information about tree chipping and other disposal options can be found at portcoquitlam.ca/treechip.

Here are some other ideas for going green this holiday season:

• Give the gift of experience and time this holiday season.
• Plan your food shopping wisely: buy only what you need, buy bulk to reduce packaging and bring your own reusable shopping bags.
• Choose cloth napkins over paper, pack up leftovers in reusable containers, and put all unwanted leftovers in your green cart.
• Recycle old or broken Christmas lights (find out where at portcoquitlam.ca/sortitright).

Are You a WishCycler?

The extra holiday pickup program dovetails with the City’s campaign to reduce the mis-sorted waste and soiled recyclables placed in blue carts. Residents are urged not to “wishcycle” – that is, place items in their blue cart when they are not sure if or where they can be recycled.

Wishcycling results in more waste going to the landfill. Better sorting will also help the City avoid fines from Recycle BC of $5,000 per load of material, for up to $120,000 per year, which would ultimately be passed on to taxpayers.

The most common items incorrectly placed into blue recycling carts are:

• Soft and flexible plastics, and overwrap
• Styrofoam
• Hard plastics such as Tupperware, plastic toys, tarps and laundry hampers
• Clothing and shoes
• Hard and soft-cover books
• Bags of mixed garbage
• Scrap metal such as auto parts, chains, pots and pans, and hardware
• Electronics such as cell phones, computers, small appliances and light strings

It’s also important that recyclables are clean and dry. As carts are collected and their contents mingled together, food residue or liquid left in containers will contaminate large quantities of clean recyclables – all of which will then be sent to the landfill.

Port Coquitlam’s Sort it Right! program provides a variety of user-friendly tools, including:

• Sort & Report app – search for how to properly sort waste, create personalized collection schedules and alerts, report problems and more. Download for free at portcoquitlam.ca/sortreport.
• Sort it Right! online search tool – learn how to properly dispose of items at portcoquitlam.ca/sortitright. 
• Sort it Right! Waste Sorting & Services flipguide – detailed collection and sorting information. Pick up from City facilities or download from portcoquitlam.ca/sortitright.
• Community Calendar and Waste Collection Schedule. Delivered to doorsteps or available at City facilities each December.
• Ambassador outreach program – ask a question, request resources or book a free virtual presentation for a group, strata or school: portcoquitlam.ca/ambassadors.
• In-person support – Contact 604-927-5496 or drop by Public Works, 1737 Broadway St. to speak to a staff member and pick up resources.
• Visit portcoquitlam.ca/waste for a variety of information and resources.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Ximena Ibacache
Manager of Communications & Administrative Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5499
Email ibacachex@portcoquitlam.ca