Parks Recycling

Council directed staff to initiate a three-phased parks recycling program in the District of West Vancouver’s destination waterfront parks.

Council Report | July 11, 2022
Council Presentation | July 11, 2022

The bins replace existing parks garbage-only bins and include options to recycle containers and compost food scraps, as well as a place for garbage.

During Phase 1 of this project, new recycling bins were installed in Millennium Park, John Lawson Park, and Dundarave Park.
During Phase 2 of this project, new recycling bins were installed in Whytecliff Park and Horseshoe Bay Park.

Parks recycling program locations

Next steps

Bins are regularly serviced and maintained by District staff. Staff are monitoring the program and reporting back to Council on the results of this program to receive additional direction before expanding the program to additional parks.

Council Report - August 30, 2023

We need your help

Recycling effectively in public spaces can be challenging. Bins don’t recycle, people do! When waste is not sorted properly, such as food scraps being put into the Containers bin or containers being put into the Food Scraps bin, the entire contents of the bin end up in the landfill.

To make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle correctly, the colour-coded bins match other West Vancouver collection programs and have graphics to show which items belong in each bin.

What Goes Where

Frequently Asked Questions

The new parks recycling bins provide additional opportunities for residents and visitors to recycle in West Vancouver parks. Based on a recent waste audit, approximately 50% of park waste can be recycled instead of disposed as garbage.

This project is built on the successful implementation of our streetside recycling program, which began in 2017 and continues today (more info: westvancouver.ca/streetsiderecycling).

Council directed staff to initiate Phase 1 of a three-phased parks recycling program in the District’s destination waterfront parks, starting in early 2023. Staff were then directed to initiate Phase 2 of the program, starting in early 2024. Staff will continue to monitor the program and report to Council to receive additional direction before implementing future phases.

We need your help!
Recycling effectively in public spaces can be challenging. Bins don’t recycle, people do! Please do your part by sorting your materials correctly.

What Goes Where
During Phase 1 of this project, new three-stream bins were installed in Millennium Park, John Lawson Park, and Dundarave Park. During Phase 2 of this project, new two-stream bins were installed in Whytecliff Park and Horseshoe Bay Park.

Parks recycling program locations

To make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle correctly, the colour-coded bins match other West Vancouver collection programs.
In 2017, streetside recycling bins were installed on sidewalks and at bus stops in Horseshoe Bay. This pilot project was effective in diverting 50% of waste from the garbage to be recycled. Based on the success of this pilot project, the District expanded the streetside recycling program to other commercial areas in West Vancouver in 2019.

Learn more: westvancouver.ca/streetsiderecycling
Contamination occurs when items are incorrectly sorted and it is a key challenge of any recycling program, especially outdoor public locations such as parks and streetscapes. Research shows that people are less likely to sort correctly in public places than at home. When recycling is not sorted properly, it all ends up in the landfill. We need your help—bins don’t recycle, people do!

What Goes Where
At this time, the District is only upgrading parks garbage bins in key locations. Some bins will not be upgraded, such as those that are less frequently used. This could be because there is a very low volume of material collected in the garbage bin at that location—making a larger three-steam bin unnecessary—or because there is limited space to place a larger three-stream bin at that location.
The Parks Recycling Program and other public realm solid waste initiatives are funded entirely through the District’s Solid Waste Utility, not through general taxation. Residents will see these costs as the “Public Realm Waste” line item that appears on quarterly utility bills.

Staff are tracking and estimating operating and capital costs for each phase of the program. Capital costs include the cost of installing new dedicated recycling bins and operational costs include labour, equipment, and processing of separated collection of recycling and compostable materials. Program costs are subject to change based on inflation and other factors as the program is implemented over time.