Recyclable Materials & Prohibited Wastes
Recyclable materials
Residential quantities of the following materials are accepted free of charge for recycling at the Recycling Depot:
- Corrugated cardboard
- Lead acid automotive batteries
- Metal
- Glass Containers
- Propane tanks (max 1 refillable and 2 disposable)
- Recyclable old newspapers and office papers; telephone books (max 200), computer paper, etc.
- Rigid plastic containers (any color) marked #1 (PET), #2 (HDPE), #4 (LDPE) and/or #5 (PP)
- White goods (large appliances,including fridges, freezers & air conditioners; limit of 3 per day)
- Gypsum drywall (max. 1/2 sheet, with a paid load of garbage)
Prohibited wastes
The following wastes are prohibited from garbage disposal at the Vancouver South Transfer Station:
- Tires
- Hazardous wastes (i.e. pathogenic and radioactive materials)
- Hazardous wastes as defined by the Hazardous Waste Regulation of the Environmental Management Act
- Biomedical waste, including sharps
- Paint
- Liquid wastes and sludges
- Explosive substances
- Chemicals or other materials which may create hazardous working conditions
- Dusty loads including sawdust, mill flour dust, lime dust, etc.*
- Inflammable materials
- Materials hot enough to start combustion
- Automobile bodies or boat hulls
- Heavy, solid objects* (i.e. concrete, asphalt, engine blocks, transmissions, etc.)
- Waste oil, petroleum by-products, used oil filters, used oil containers
- Dead animals and animal parts (i.e. bones, feathers, skin; excludes processed meat)
- All forms of excrement
- Barrels, drums and other large liquid containers, whether full or empty
- Lumber, timber, logs, etc., longer than 2.5m (8ft)
- Solid objects larger in cross section than 3500cm2 (3.8ft2) if longer than 2.5m (8ft)
- Fabricated objects wider or thicker than 1.2m (4ft) and longer than 2.5m (8ft)
- Soil with contaminant levels exceeding Urban Park standards defined by the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act
- Coated or uncoated wire or cable in excess of 1% by weight of any load
- Asbestos or materials containing asbestos (accepted at Vancouver Landfill only – must be double-bagged)
- Commercial loads of dry cell batteries
- Insulation that is not double-bagged
- Odourous loads* (i.e. fish, fish nets, etc.)
- Materials accepted for recycling (see list below)
- More than 4 mattresses per customer
- Desktop computers, computer monitors, notebook computers, desktop printers and fax machines, and televisions
- Ceiling tiles
* Due to operational difficulties created by these materials, they should be sent directly to a disposal facility, i.e. the Vancouver Landfill in Delta.
Note: A 50% surcharge may be assessed on garbage loads containing:
- 5% or more by volume of one of a combination of clean old corrugated cardboard, newsprint, office paper, gypsum, yard & green waste, beverage containers, and blue box recyclables, OR
- any of lead acid batteries, medications/pharmaceuticals, paint, solvents, flammable liquids, gasoline, pesticides, vehicle tires, oil, oil filters, empty oil containers, electronic waste (tvs, computers, printers).
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The City of Vancouver reserves the right not to accept any waste material. If any prohibited material is disposed at the Landfill without prior written approval by the City Engineer or an authorized representative, the material shall be removed immediately by the offending party. Violations may result in the hauler being banned from disposing at City waste facilities.
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