United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre Helping to Divert Items From Our Waste Stream

Metro Vancouver’s United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre is a full-service recycling and waste centre for commercial, municipal, and small vehicle customers from the Tri-Cities as well as Burnaby and New Westminster.

Geoff Scott – Local Jouranlism Initiative

First opened in 2022 the United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre is a major step in Metro Vancouver's Zero Waste initiative. Gone are the days of indiscriminately throwing all of our trash into a landfill. Over the last two years there has been an increase of over 20% in diverting a wide variety items away from the landfill and towards a means of being repaired, reused, or recycled.

Recycling materials that are picked up from homes in the Tri-Cities are handled through a service called Recycle BC. Several items such as soft plastics and styrofoam that are not picked up Recycle BC can be dropped off at the United Boulevard Recycling facility which is separated into two areas: free recycling, and paid recycling and garbage.

Those dropping off recyclable material are asked to separate all materials by type and place in designated bins in the first lot at the recycling depot. It is important to make sure that items are assorted accordingly as any materials placed in the wrong bin will result in more labor being to sort through the whole bin or may even result in the bin being rerouted to the garbage stream. A wide variety of items are accepted including those that may not be accepted by Recycle BC.

Many of the items that can be dropped off are not only recycled but, if possible, diverted to streams where they can be repaired or reused. Visitors are encouraged to bring donatable items that can be donated to various charitable organizations that will ensure that they go to someone who needs it, and electronic items or other items that are in need of light repair may be routed back to the manufacturers as part of their mandatory recycling programs.

For information on operating hours, vehicle restrictions and a visitors guide visitor guide go to : www.recycling.metrovancouver.org