gone with the wind campaign
the probleM:
In Canada, around 30 tonnes of plastic enter the environment annually due to mismanagement, including plastics that escape from recycling systems, such as open-top blue boxes during windy, stormy weather.
Plastic packaging items are lightweight, and without a cover on blue bins, they are prone to leaking and becoming litter. Once they have leaked out of the blue box, they clog storm drains, pollute urban streets and waterways, and make their way downstream to the beaches and into the ocean.
Recycling collection days have become a known hot spot for pollution leaks. Residents often overfill bins, and waste haulers struggle with scattered recyclables, increasing operational costs and reducing recycling efficiency.
why it matters & the solution
Plastic lost from blue bins is not an accidental issue - it represents a system failure with real environmental consequences.
Escaped recyclables not only pollute the environment we depend on and share, they threaten local wildlife, harm ecosystems, degrade coastlines, and lead to wasted resources due to the need for increased virgin plastic production to replace lost plastic. Meanwhile, municipalities and local residents, including Surfrider volunteers, are left to clean up the leaked plastic.
Many municipalities across BC, including, Surrey, Chilliwack and Port Alberni, use lidded carts for collecting blue box materials. So, there’s already a precedent set with local governments, their waste contractors, and RecycleBC for utilizing an effective collection system that avoids leakage. Whether its carts, or nets, or another solution - we know we need to work collaboratively to end this unnecessary source of plastic pollution.
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SEND US PHOTOS OF PLASTIC LEAKING FROM BLUE BINS IN VANCOUVER
You can post the photos on Instagram and tag @surfridervan and use the hashtag #gonewiththewind_surfrider
