Waste & Recycling

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Reduce

One of the best ways to cut down on the waste you produce is by purchasing fewer items and making sustainable choices for the things you do buy.

Frogfile office essentials

Frogfile offers an online catalogue for finding well-designed office products that are easy on the environment. They have items to cover most of the needs of any workplace or home office.

Happy Frog

Happy Frog is a B.C.-based directory of green businesses and sustainability-minded organisations. You can find listings for services as well as products for sale.

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Reuse

Buying secondhand equipment and products made from recycled materials are great ways to cut down on waste production. Remember to look for ways to have items you no longer need reused when you are ready to part with them.

Frogfile office essentials 

Frogfile offers an online catalogue for finding well-designed office products that are easy on the environment. They also buy and sell slightly used office supplies.

Craigslist Canada

Craigslist is a free to use online buy and sell service. Look for the nearest listing to you and check for office furniture. Craigslist is a great way to find used items at fair prices, or to sell items you no longer need. Always check the items before you buy and don’t send money without using a secure service.

BC Electronics Materials Exchange

The British Columbia Electronics Materials Exchange lets you sell, give away or trade electronic equipment you don't want with people who do, like an online garage sale. There's lots of free stuff available, plus it's good for the environment. You can also post requests for items that you need. The site works like a classified ad section, and it's free to use.

Other ways to buy and sell

Some other online places to find used office furntiture and equipment include BuySell and eBay. You can often find well priced, quality items.  Always check the products out before you buy and don’t send money without using a secure service. Also, look for secondhand furniture stores in your area. Many of them are great sources for goods, and part of the proceeds often goes to a good cause.

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Recycle

More and more products can be recycled: paper, computers, batteries, cellphones, all kinds of food containers, metals, and plastics. Before you throw something away, find out if it can be recycled. Not all recycling is created equally however, particularly for items like computers and batteries that contain toxins. Find a recycling source with ethical and sustainable recycling practices.

Encorp Pacific Return-it Electronics Recycling

Encorp Pacific is recycling televisions and other unused electronics free of charge. Not sure what you can recycle? Check out Encorp Pacific’s website to learn more and to find a Return-It Electronics location near you.

Recycling Council of BC – Zero Waste Program

The Recycling Council of British Columbia Recycling Hotline is a comprehensive, toll-free service that provides information on waste reduction, recycling, disposal and pollution prevention throughout the entire province. 

Free Geek Vancouver

Free Geek offers ethical computer and other electronic recycling. If you don’t live in Vancouver, you can still contact them to find out what to watch for in a recycler. Ask if they know a source for items in your area.

CFL recycling facilities

Because CFLs contain some mercury, it is essential that you recycle spent bulbs. Find a recycler in your area.

• If you are outside the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, or Interior, contact the Recycling Council of B.C. at 1 800 667 4321, for answers to your CFL recycling questions.
• Contact your local municipality to discuss local CFL recycling options. If the facilities don’t exist, let your local representatives know to make this a priority.
• Home Depot stores across B.C. as well as Ikea stores in Coquitlam and Richmond, and some Rona stores, offer CFL recycling. View the list to a find a recycler in your area.

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