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Recycling & Garbage

Let's Rethink Waste

It's time to rethink how we deal with waste. Changing our habits to think differently about purchases, avoid unnecessary waste and find ways to reuse and recycle products contributes directly to positive outcomes like reducing reliance on raw materials. Ultimately, it's about shifting to a circular economy, where the materials we use stay in circulation to be used, reused or repaired, and recycled multiple times in to new products.
Rethink Waste

Ban on Single-Use Plastics and Other Items
Richmond Sustainability Framework
Richmond's Circular Economy Initiatives
Repair Fair

Tips to Reduce Waste and Promote Circular Economy
Avoid single-use items
Avoid single-use items
  • Choose reusable options like reusable straws, containers and bags instead.
  • Choose reusable natural substitutes for plastic wrap such as beeswax coated cloth wraps.
  • For more tips and information about reducing single-use items, see the Single-Use Plastic and Other Items Bylaw.
Before you buy something...
Access: If you need to buy, consider:
  • Do I really need this?
  • Will it create unnecessary waste?
  • Can it be repaired?
  • Can each component be taken apart and repaired if needed?
  • Can the item be recycled whole? If not, can each component be taken apart and recycled?
  • Is this product made to last? Are there alternatives with longer useful lifespan?
  • Choose products with recycled content and minimal packaging.
  • Are there refurbished options

For tips on what to look for when you shop for new clothes, visit Metro Vancouver Think Thrice about Your Clothes.

Sell, trade or donate used household items
Sell trade donate
 For tips and options check out:
Repair products when possible
Repair products
  • Check out iFixit repair guides for instructions on how to repair a variety of household items including mobile phones, game consoles, appliances and other items.
  • Learn to how to do some common clothing repairs by visiting Metro Vancouver Repairs & Alterations page.
  • Learn about how we can support the circular economy by repairing items through the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Empowering Repair partnership. 
  • Join Frameworq on May 15 and 29 at their textile Fix-It event.
Reduce your food waste
Reduce your food waste

Rethink the value of your leftovers and avoidable food waste at home.

  • Plan meals based on your grocery list
  • Store fruit and vegetables properly so they last longer.
  • Get creative with leftover so they are actually eaten. 
  • Inform yourself on "best before" and "expiry" dates
For more tips and tricks visit Love Food Hate Waste Canada. For information on food scraps recycling visit Green Cart.
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