B.C. municipalities crack down on contaminated recycling

Some municipalities in British Columbia are tightening enforcement as contamination in recycling bins continues to rise. The Regional District of Nanaimo says it may begin fining repeat offenders after more residents put nonrecyclable items into curbside collection. Officials say “wishcycling” happens when people place items in recycling bins hoping they can be processed, even if they are not accepted in that stream. Common examples include zipperlock bags, woven plastic, poorly cleaned containers, scrap metal, household appliances and hazardous waste. Recycle B.C. says contaminated loads can be harder to sell to recycling markets and may be sent to landfill if the material is too polluted. The Regional District of Nanaimo and the City of Richmond are both responding with warnings, audits and possible fines as they try to keep contamination below allowed thresholds.