Submitted by jessica on

Summer is finally kicking into full gear! We’re just as excited as you for the season of road trips, camping weekends, and fun outdoor adventures. It’s important to remember though that as we go through or unpack our summer travel gear, not all of it can go in your blue bin. Many of your summer items made of plastic, rubber, or metal might seem recyclable — but they don’t belong in the blue bin.

At Urban Impact, around this time of year we start to see a rise in non-recyclable summer travel items showing up at our plant and they can pose a serious challenge to our recycling process.

Here are some of the biggest offenders and ideas for how to properly dispose of them:

  • Luggage and duffel bags - These are often made with mixed materials (metal, fabric, plastic) that are not recyclable.
    • What to do? If these bags are still usable, consider reselling or donating them to your local thrift store or charity. If they are broken beyond repair check if your local transfer station or landfill accepts them.
  • Camping Gear (air mattresses, broken coolers, folding chairs) – These larger items are not accepted in recycling as they can potentially jam recycling machines.
    • What to do? Look for repair programs, donate if they are still usable, or bring to your local waste facility. You can also check to see if any of your local retailers are running any take-back events and are accepting broken gear.
  • Tires (bikes, trailers, 4-wheelers, etc.) – Rubber tires are not recyclable and pose a fire risk in our plants.
    • What to do? Return to a tire retailer through a takeback program like Tire Stewardship BC or bring it to a designated depot.
  • Garden Hoses – These can be some of the worst offenders as they wrap around and machinery and cause equipment shutdowns.
    • What to do? Dispose of them in your regular garbage or bring them to your local transfer station. Never place these in your blue bin.

Why does this matter? Because not only can items like this damage the environment when disposed of incorrectly, they can also damage equipment, contaminate clean recyclables, and even put our workers at risk. 

So, before your big summer adventure’s this year, make sure to stop and think about what’s going in your blue bin, and if it really belongs there.

Thanks for helping us keep this summer clean and green!