British Columbia recovers 75% of packaging and paper products

Recycle BC flex packagingAccording to the recent 2017 annual report of British Columbia's producer responsibility organization Recycle BC, they collected more than 174,000 tonnes of packaging and paper product (PPP) in 2017, serving 1.39 million households in 156 communities: a 75% recovery rate. Packaging and paper product (formerly "printed paper") includes paper of any description, such as flyers, brochures, booklets, catalogues, telephone directories, newspapers, magazines, paper fibre, and paper used for copying, writing or any other general use. Recycle BC has also piloted recycling newer hard-to-recycle materials: a May-July pilot of plastic squeeze tubes (toothpaste, moisturizer) and an ongoing pilot as of June 2018 for flexible plastic packaging (ziploc pouches, crinkly wrappers and bags, woven and net plastic bags, protective packaging, etc.).