Vancouverites will now have to separate glass for recycling

The City of Vancouver announced residents will have to start separating glass from the rest of their recycling. They will roll out the changes in three phases starting with multi-family buildings, such as apartments and town homes, today, October 5.

Single family, detached homes will be the next implementation on January 11, 2016.

Keep your eyes peeled for blue recycling bins labeled “glass bottle + jars” in your apartments. Residents should start using them as soon as they see them appear in their buildings.

On top of the changes to recycling glass, all newspapers and mixed paper products are accepted together in the same bin. Paper cups, milk cartons, TetraPaks, empty non-paint aerosol cans and frozen dessert boxes can now be recycled in the mixed container bin.

If you’re unsure of how to dispose of a piece of recycling, the city has a “waste wizard” tool where you can type in the name of an object and it will tell you which bin to use.

The city says more information will be available as they phase in the changes which align with their “zero waste” commitment.

The final phase will be brought in July of 2016.

To use the waste wizard, click here.