Starting January 1, 2023 single-use plastic items will now be accepted in your blue box/containers cart. We encourage you to use reusable products whenever possible but if you do use plastic items like straws, stir sticks or utensils (forks, spoons, knives), they can now be recycled in your Blue Box/Containers Cart.
Richmond's Blue Box and Blue Cart programs make it easy and convenient to recycle containers from metal packaging and paper products such as empty aerosol and aluminium cans, rigid plastic containers, glass bottles and glass jars, and many other household items. These recyclable materials are not permitted in the garbage.
How to Sort Your Recycling
It's important to sort our recyclable items correctly to ensure they can be sold as a commodity to help keep City utility fees down.
Mixed Paper Recycling
Place all newsprint, paper items, paper packaging and cardboard into the yellow Mixed Paper Recycling Bag or Mixed Paper Recycling Cart.
ACCEPTED
NOT ACCEPTED
Catalogues & magazines
Cereal Boxes
Corrugated cardboard (flatten & cut to small pieces)
Newspaper, inserts & flyers
Paper bags
Paper egg cartons
Paper gift wrap & greeting cards
Paper takeout containers (including those with a shiny coating)
Shredded paper (place inside paper bag to avoid scattering)
Writing paper & envelopes
Cardboard boxes with wax coating
Foil-lined cardboard lids from takeout containers
Metallic wrapping paper*
Musical greeting cards with batteries
Padded envelopes
Paper bag lined with plastic (pet food or tortilla chip bag)
The following tips apply to both Blue Box and Blue Cart programs.
Empty and rinse containers to remove any food residue.
Flatten containers so they don't take up a lot of space in the recycling bin and collection truck.
Cut cardboard to smaller pieces.
Remove lids and recycle separately in the Blue Box or Containers Recycling Cart
It's important to place glass bottles and glass jars in the grey "Glass Recycling Bin or Glass Recycling Cart". Do not mix glass together with plastic or paper containers because glass can break easily and leaving small fragments of glass pieces in other recyclable items.
Do not put recyclables into plastic bags. Collection and processing staff will not break open the plastic bags to take out recyclable items due to safety concerns. Bagged items will go in the garbage.
Avoid stacking or nestling of different materials together, instead place them separately in the bins. For example, don't nestle an aluminum can inside a plastic container.
The City also offers free virtual recycling workshops to any community groups, please email garbageandrecycling@richmond.ca for details.
More Information for Curbside Blue Box Recycling
Collection Information
Place at the curbside before 7:30am on collection day, but no earlier than 8:00pm the night before. When setting your recycling bins out for collection, please place them at the curb and ensure access to the sidewalk is not impeded.
If there's a statutory holiday, your collection day will occur one day later than the normal collection day and will resume on the regular schedule the following week.
Oversized /excessive amounts of cardboard can be bundled 91 cm x 61 cm x 10 cm (3 ft x 2 ft x 4 in) or dropped off at the Richmond Recycling Depot.
Download the free Richmond Recycling app to set-up weekly reminders for collection or check your collection day.
Pick up at Richmond Recycling Depot - 5555 Lynas Lane, opens seven days per week from 9:00am to 6:15pm
More Information for Centralized Blue Cart Recycling
Collection Information
Some complexes have their carts collected from a central location (e.g. recycling room) each week; however, some other complexes may be required to pull their carts out to a designated collection area (e.g. holding area or curbside). If your complex requires that carts be moved to a designated collection area, please ensure the carts are there before 7:30am on collection day, but no earlier than 8:00pm the night before.
Collection will be two days delayed if Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekday. Collection will be one day delayed if New Year's Day falls on a week day. Other statutory holidays will not affect collection.
Pick up at Richmond Recycling Depot - 5555 Lynas Lane, opens seven days per week from 9:00am to 6:15pm
Recycling Starter Kit
Here's what you need to maximize your recycling efforts at home. The recycling supplies below are available for pick up at the Richmond Recycling Depot or request delivery by calling 604-276-4010.
Curbside Blue Box Recycling
Centralized Blue Cart Recycling
Applies to residents in single-family and some townhomes.
Resources:
- Blue Box
- Glass Recycling Bin
- Mixed Paper Recycling Bag
- Recycling Guide
Applies to residents in multi-family complexes such as apartments, condominiums and some townhomes.
Resources:
- Indoor Collection Bag
- Recycling Guide
Beverage Containers Cash Back
Provincial law in B.C. requires all vendors to collect a deposit on all ready-to-drink beverage containers. You can return these containers to Return-It depots to get your deposit back.
