City Launches Recycling Awareness Campaign

Today, the City of Fort St. John launches a campaign to improve awareness, resources, and information around local recycling and waste disposal. By demystifying the process of waste disposal, the City hopes to unify the residents of Fort St. John for a greener community and brighter future. 

The initiative comes in response to concerns from residents on how to properly sort waste. Since implementing the City’s recycling program in 2015, some residents have struggled to keep up with the rules around waste management resulting in contaminated carts and user frustrations. The City has received the message that more clarity is needed - and is stepping up to help. 

“We recognize that we all have a role to play in reducing the amount of waste produced in our region, and if residents need help sorting their recycling, it’s our responsibility to provide resources in order to be a part of the solution,” said Jeremy Garner, Director of Public Works and Utilities for the City of Fort St. John. “Now more than ever, waste and environmental impact are at the forefront of people’s minds. By helping residents better navigate our waste disposal programs, we can make great strides for the future of Fort St. John - together.” 

Over the next few weeks, look out for information to help residents quickly understand the Fort St. John curbside recycling program, as well as other ways to reduce their environmental impact including:

• An updated “What Goes Where?” brochure with information on recycling, composting, and other waste disposal options.
• New stickers for curbside carts to use for quick reference when sorting waste at home.
• Information and tips for waste reduction on the City’s social media channels.
• Photos taken curbside during collection to help households better understand minor infractions, and enforce significant ones. 

Residents are also encouraged to download the Waste Wise app, which easily tells users who need help what goes inside curbside carts. 

Waste in Fort St. John and British Columbia by the numbers:

• Canadians throw away about 3.3 million tonnes of plastic each year. Only nine percent is recycled.
• 2,426 tonnes of material was diverted from landfills in Peace River Regional District in 2020.  
• 25% of all residential garbage in B.C. is food waste - more than any other type of waste.

The City of Fort St. John’s curbside recycling program is taken to a facility operated by Recycle-It Resource Recovery Centre, which employs roughly a dozen people from our community. Properly sorted waste keeps employees at sorting facilities safe while allowing more material to be recovered or disposed of correctly - lowering Fort St. John’s overall environmental impact.

For more information on garbage and recycling in Fort St. John, visit fortstjohn.ca/garbage-recycling.

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Media Contact
Ryan Harvey
Communications Coordinator
250-794-3313