96 results found

1. "Waste" pick up

   Have Garbage and recycling trucks able to pick up bins on both sides of each ally at once. We have a truck drive down our ally 4 times each garbage day (6 with waste bins). A ridiculous waste of resources....and where are our hybrid diesel trucks, as it is the epitome of stop and go traffic

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2. Lobby provincially for increased bottle/can deposit values

   Curbside drink container recycling is great, but the recycling rate for these things in BC is still only about 70%. This is a waste of resources. Other provinces (PEI for example) have kept pace better with inflation by charging more than our paltry 5-10 cents deposit per container, and not just by coincidence have higher recycling rates.

   Side benefit: less garbage/broken glass in public places.

   Caution: those who depend upon deposits for their livelihood (e.g. "binners") might experience new hardship as more people recycle, but this would be somewhat offset by higher returns per container found.

   3 votes

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3. Simplify, Synchronize, and Rationalize the Collection of Recyclable Materials.

   Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste containers massive sends a very clear visual message as to priority and options. Requiring separation of materials at point of drop off merely serves to diminish participation and increase contamination. Most everyone would participate if they could include all recyclable material in one large container, which was then separated at the City’s waste management level. This is the type of system used in Toronto, which has a more successful waste reclamation program than ours.

   Synchronize: Use the same Blue Bin and the same collection and separation waste management system for business, residential, recreational, streets, and educational public facilities. It’s irrational that we can collect recycling at the residential level but not use the same equipment and staff to collect at our Parks, Civic Centers, Schools, and on commercial streets. Currently, if schools want to recycle the PAC pays for it!! And the Parks! For goodness sakes, the Provincial Parks have been collecting recyclable materials in separate bins for a decade, how can it be that our Parks board and Metro Vancouver Parks can lag THAT far behind? We require one public-wide system, for every public and residential private facility. Aside from the cost advantage - once fleet of collection vehicles and trained staff - a higher participation and reclamation program means more revenue from the collection and resale of the raw materials. Having one standard container also contributes to the publics acceptance and understanding of the program. With the wide range of container variants in the City, there remains a great deal of confusion among users as to what can go where. It is very common to see recyclable non-reuseable plastic cups, for instance, in the City’s paltry returnable container trays affixed to the litter receptacles. This happenstance points to the fact that people do NOT want to put the recyclables into the litter containers but have limited choice of alternatives.

   Through the business licencing and regulation powers, require the mandatory participation of waste producing businesses, such as fast food and drive through, in the program. These businesses - the ones contributing to the waste containers volume in our consumption stream - should have to lease the Blue Bins from the City annually. The lease rates set on a cost recovery basis. They would have to demonstrate a Zero waste system (via a licencing audit) before they could opt out of the Blue Bin program.

   Rationalize: In the first year of the program there should be a 1:1 ratio of blue bins to garbage receptacles in parks, schools, civic centers and at Bus Stops. A 2:1 ratio to residents (weekly pick up of the blue bin, bimonthly pick up of the garbage bin). By the third year of the program, the ratio should shift to 2:1 in public facilities, 4:1 in residential facilities(weekly pick up of the blue bin, once a month of the garbage bin - with compost in the yard waste container, there is no reason garbage collection couldn’t be decreased to once monthly given a generous and simplified recycling collection system). The mandatory commercial Blue Bin participants would be permitted to shift their ratio from 1:1 on applying for and passing the requirements of a waste inspection audit. As their ratio shifts (more reclamation, less waste), their annual fee would go down.

   One Blue Bin, One System, Universal Participation!

   Simplify: Have one large blue bin - the same capacity as the City’s largest Green Bin currently used for single family dwelling yard waste collection. The current residential recycling program is too little and too complex. Most residents do not understand what can go into one of three distinct containers and they don’t understand that they can request additional containers. Miss-mixed containers and stacks of cardboard not broken down to the requisite 12”x12” sheets are routinely left curbside to rot and eventually be discarded in the larger waste containers. The current fact that the blue box is tiny and waste… more

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4. Reuse centres in every neighbourhood and at Waste Disposal Sites and Transfer Stations

   Hornby Island does it, so can we! The idea is simple - create a designated place for people to drop off useful items for other people to take home, for free. Yes, it requires a little bit of management to make sure our community spaces don't get over run with old computers, but this can be a great way for people to get stuff they need, and to reduce waste going to landfill.

   Fernwood, in Victoria, has a little gazebo in their neighbourhood square to drop stuff off. Montreal has the legendary ongoing, city wide, garage sale. And Hornby Island has the free store - a thrift store, run by community volunteers, where everything is free!

   Hornby Island does it, so can we! The idea is simple - create a designated place for people to drop off useful items for other people to take home, for free. Yes, it requires a little bit of management to make sure our community spaces don't get over run with old computers, but this can be a great way for people to get stuff they need, and to reduce waste going to landfill.

   Fernwood, in Victoria, has a little gazebo in their neighbourhood square to drop stuff off. Montreal has the legendary ongoing, city wide, garage sale. And Hornby Island… more

   20 votes

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   under review  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   The draft Greenest City Action Plan includes an action to develop reuse centres.

5. make bus transfers optional

   I often don't need to transfer onto another bus or train so I would like it to be optional to receive a ticket after paying. So much paper waste could be reduced.

   2 votes

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6. Don't Incinerate -- Reduce!!

   Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal. If we want to be the Greenest city, we will not get there by incinerating ANY waste. A more comprehensive plan to encourage reduction not only of household waste, but also restaurant and other business waste. Extended food waste collection, consumer education and pay-to-throw programs would all be part of this.

   27 votes

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7. Plasma incineration

   Incinerate garbage with plasma arc gasification technology, which breaks down waste primarily into elemental gas and solid materials, which may be reused. May also be net producer of electricity.

   An analysis would need to be done to see if viable specifically for Vancouver's needs.

   3 votes

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8. Neighbourhood drop-off areas for dog waste

   There are so many dogs in the City now that the waste could be separated + composted or otherwise dealt with. Also options to plastic bags...

   4 votes

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9. Comprehensive Food Waste Collection

   Why not collect all food waste? Seattle does it. UBC does it. Why limit it to uncooked fruits and veggies and eggshells? This makes some people not bother. More would use the service if it didn't require any discrimination and sorting.....

   37 votes

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   planned  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

   This is planned for Phase 2 of the food scraps recycling program.

10. City Of Vancouver internal operation need to be leaders

    I can't believe how far behind city operation are with regards to recycling it's embarassing. We need easy accessible recycling facilities on each floor and or lunch room. Examples of companies that do this well Microsoft, Whole Foods even Metro Vancouver Head Office.

    1 vote

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11. Zero waste

    Create a Zero Waste Plan as has been done in other cities to reduce waste on a timeline of progress

    64 votes

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    started  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The Draft Greenest City Action Plan includes a Zero Waste Action Plan.

12. Compost, compost, COMPOST!

    Encourage people to compost!!!!! Send out info to people and they will build it! And rainwater cachement systems are GREAT too.

    20 votes

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13. Disclose the True Cost of Consumer Waste

    Use Municipal business licencing regulatory power to reveal the hidden cost of waste production. Such a bold move could invoke a paradigm shift in the way commerce is conducted. As one example: if consumers had to pay the true environmental cost of a fast food meal, fast food would soon loose its appeal. Cheap price point consumption habits are the worse legacy of the 2o th Century. The City could use its business licencing powers to initiate an immediate turn around in the fast food industry gross over production and direct to landfill disposal of plastic and paper waste. Requiring point-of-preparation waste separation - compost, recyclable materials, other - and the use of reusable plates, cutlery, drink containers, and on premises recycling containers for paper products. Sit down at McDonalds and order one drink and one food item and you will be appalled at the waste. The drink is in a one-use container. The food item is packaged then wrapped in paper. The utensils are one-use plastic. And the entire meal is served on a one-use paper tray cover. Looking into the kitchen prep. area you can see that there is no waste separation. Cardboard egg containers, plastic wrap, and food waste are all thrown into the same plastic lined bin. This goes directly into the landfill. How a Civic authority could sit down for one meal in this type of establishment and not vow to act to reduce the use of disposal food containers and related materials is beyond me.

    Use Municipal business licencing regulatory power to reveal the hidden cost of waste production. Such a bold move could invoke a paradigm shift in the way commerce is conducted. As one example: if consumers had to pay the true environmental cost of a fast food meal, fast food would soon loose its appeal. Cheap price point consumption habits are the worse legacy of the 2o th Century. The City could use its business licencing powers to initiate an immediate turn around in the fast food industry gross over production and direct to landfill disposal of plastic and paper waste. Requiring… more

    3 votes

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14. Work with the Commercial Fishing Industry to recycle unwanted Nylon Netting and Leaded lines

    [Submitted via email by Terry Slack]

    Vancouver and Richmond has a historic and still active commercial Fishing Industry . Presently tons of commercial fishing gear waste is sent to landfills every year and there are still no overall plans inplace to recycle leaded lines and nylon webbing from discarded nets and other gear . The Lead Core lines have no waste metal value and can not presently be recycled ! The old waste nylon webbing again cannot presently be recycled and is also sent to Landfill ! The Lead from the landfilled fishing waste will pollute the environment for hundreds and hundreds of years in toxic runoff . The unwanted Nylon Nets will cause expensive landfill equipment failure and again take hundreds of years to breakdown . A Green Vancouver could look at ways to change all this , save on landfill equipment repairs, save our dwindling numbers of wild birds and burrowing animals that get caught in waste netting and get the polluting lead out of our forever growing landfills !

    [Submitted via email by Terry Slack]

    Vancouver and Richmond has a historic and still active commercial Fishing Industry . Presently tons of commercial fishing gear waste is sent to landfills every year and there are still no overall plans inplace to recycle leaded lines and nylon webbing from discarded nets and other gear . The Lead Core lines have no waste metal value and can not presently be recycled ! The old waste nylon webbing again cannot presently be recycled and is also sent to Landfill ! The Lead from the landfilled fishing waste will pollute the environment for hundreds… more

    9 votes

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15. solar trash compactor

    City of Vancouver has 2,400 public space litter bins on streets, transit stops and parks. By introducing a wireless capable solar trash compactor system to replace this system significant financial and environmental benefits can be realized. Operating costs will be reduced by 70% as well as Green House Gas emissions from the Diesel powered waste collection vehicle that go out at least once per day to pick up each of these 2,400 bins. Imagine having the collection take place once per week instead of seven times per week and have the reduced trip frequency pay for all this equipment in less than four years ? This is possible today - www.bigbellysolar.com

    City of Vancouver has 2,400 public space litter bins on streets, transit stops and parks. By introducing a wireless capable solar trash compactor system to replace this system significant financial and environmental benefits can be realized. Operating costs will be reduced by 70% as well as Green House Gas emissions from the Diesel powered waste collection vehicle that go out at least once per day to pick up each of these 2,400 bins. Imagine having the collection take place once per week instead of seven times per week and have the reduced trip frequency pay for all this equipment in… more

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    started  ·  AdminGreenest City Planning Team (Admin, CG2020) responded

    The City is piloting over 20 solar-powered trash compacting bins in South East False Creek and Cambie Street.

    However, this idea isn’t included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan. Compacting waste reduces volume and makes collection more efficient, but it doesn’t reduce the tonnes of waste sent to landfill or incinerator. The proposed Zero Waste target is to reduce 50% (by weight) of garbage sent to landfill or incinerator by 2020.

16. Paper requirements for City Hall services

    I went to renew my residential parking permit and was required to show a physical copy of my proof of residence - hydro bill, etc. I don't get paper bills anymore. I pulled up my bill on my iPhone but was told that wasn't enough, i had to print the bill. The thing is, the clerk didn't take copies of any of my documents, she just viewed them, so why is it not good enough to view the electronic document?

    2 votes

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17. Ban disposable cups, plates and cutlery in all restaurants/cafes

    Let's face it: coffee tastes better from a real cup; food is easier to eat from a real plate! Single use containers/cutlery create massive amounts of waste. How to stop this senseless waste of materials and energy? Phase in a progressive ban on them: start with requiring restaurants to offer reusuable plates/cups/cutlery, and eventually require them for all in-house service.

    190 votes

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18. More glass recycling

    There used to be a lot of glass bottle recycling back 20-30 years ago. It seemse less so now. I think it should be increased again since there's still a lot of glass usage. And not just bottles but jars and containers. I think al glass can be broken up, melted and reused again.

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19. Recycling of all sorts of metals.

    I don't think there's any metal that can't be melted and reused. It makes sense that we recycle all types of metals.

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20. Reduce paper consumption.

    Use less paper in City Hall. Aim marketing inititatives toward businesses to go paperless, and provide incentives if possible. Stop using flyers/cardboard signs for city events or elections. And most of all - no more leaflets!!!

    3 votes

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