Reducing household waste can be easy when you think about what you’re buying and where it will go after you are done with it. In 2019, British Columbians disposed of an average of 501 kg of household waste per person, much of which could have been diverted from landfill by recycling or composting. However, the most effective way to reduce waste is to avoid creating it in the first place.
By following the first three Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) of the provincial pollution prevention hierarchy, a significant impact can be made. See below for some initiatives undertaken by the City to help reduce waste and for tips on how you can make changes in your everyday life.
Compost Giveaway
Thank you Abbotsford residents for your waste diversion efforts! Through your participation in the City’s curbside collection program we diverted approximately 14,600 tonnes of yard and food waste in 2021. That is about the same weight as 150 blue whales or 20,000 cows!
The 2025 compost giveaway will soon be underway! 300 lucky residents will be randomly drawn to win two (2) 30L (20kg) bags of organic 1/4" finished compost made from local organic waste. One entry per address.
Collected yard and food waste is taken to Pacific Coast Renewables Corp. where it is processed and turned into a nutrient-rich high quality compost. This program helps decrease the amount of waste sent to landfill and the amount of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere. Using compost in your garden completes the circle of sustainability and makes your garden water wise for summertime growing.
Compost is a soil amendment that can improve the health of lawns, flower beds and gardens. It enhances soil structure, increases soil nutrient content, improves moisture retention and fosters plant health. While compost may look like dirt or soil, it is neither. Compost needs to be used along with soil and cannot be used as a replacement for soil. Compost can be used in many ways such as a mixing the compost into your soil or spreading it on top of your existing soil.
Consult your garden centre, nursery or horticultural expert to determine how to best mix this compost for your specific application. Additional tips on how to best use compost is available through the following links:
Reducing household waste can be easy when you think about what you’re buying and where it will go after you are done with it. So many decisions we make on a daily basis have a major impact on how much waste we generate. See below for some ideas on how you can make small changes that are eco-friendly and will have a lasting effect!
Avoid. The easiest way to have the biggest impact is to avoid generating waste in the first place. This also has the added benefit of less material for you to sort and manage! Avoid using single use items in your home. Consider metal, glass, bamboo or silicon products instead of their disposable counter-parts. Use cloths instead of paper towel. Choose items that have less packaging.
Eliminate single use. Think about common single use items that could be replaced with reusable versions. Travel mugs, straws, shopping bags, cotton or mesh produce bags, jars and reusable utensils are great examples. While some single use items are accepted for recycling, the collection and recycling process still requires additional energy and resources to complete.
Drink tap water. Abbotsford and Mission’s drinking water undergoes thousands of tests each year to ensure that customers are provided with clean and safe water. Residents can take pride in their drinking water – it continually meets or exceeds quality standards set out by the province. Drinking tap water instead of bottled water is waste free too!
Recycle More and Better. Most packaging and paper products are accepted in your blue recycling cart, but not everything can go in! Make sure you are up to date on what can and cannot be recycled. Not sure where an item goes? Visit the Waste Wizard at abbotsford.ca/wastewizard for sorting tips on how to properly recycle or dispose of hundreds of items.
Empty, clean and dry. Clean your recyclables before placing them in your blue recycling cart. Items don’t need to be spotless. A quick rinse is all you need. This will help reduce pests, odours and mess and will result in more material actually being recycled.
Store it right. Proper storage and understanding best-before dates will help stop spoilage and food waste.
Make use of leftovers. Over ripe fruits can be used in smoothies or pies and wilting vegetables are great for soup.
Compost food waste. Approximately 20% of average household garbage in Abbotsford is compostable waste. Diverting food waste and other organics to your green compost cart is an effective way to decrease the amount of waste going to garbage.
DIY (Do It Yourself). Search online for ways to make your own “green” cleaners, laundry detergent and beauty products that can be used and stored in reusable containers.
Repair. Extend the life of items like clothing, jewelry, furniture, appliances and electronics by repairing them.
Repurpose. Find new uses for things that would otherwise be thrown away. Consider using cookie tins for storage, turning old clothes into rags, and cans as pencil holders.
Borrow, rent or share. For items you don’t use often, consider borrowing, renting or sharing with a friend or neighbor before owning them or buying new.
Donate. Before throwing something away, ask yourself if it is still good enough for someone else to use. Try listing it for free on Kijiji and other online sites or donate to a local thrift store or charity.
Go paperless. Sign up for electronic bills, unsubscribe from junk mail, or even send paperless party invites. With the advance of technology, you can save paper and time.
Plan for convenience. Convenience sounds like a little thing, but it has a big impact! Ensure your waste sorting station is set up in a convenient location to ensure it will actually get used. People are more likely to use sorting bins if they are placed in kitchen areas rather than in a garage or outside.
Reuse. Single-sided paper can be reused for printing or for note pads. Reuse paper clips instead of staples or consider a staple-free stapler. Use a reusable coffee mug in place of single use paper cups.
Skip the garbage. Try to use your compost and recycling bins exclusively.
Green packaging. Use, reuse and request recyclable paper packing material when shipping. Print postage and addresses directly on your envelopes. Use a return address stamp instead of stickers.
Pack a zero waste lunch. Consider using reusable containers and bags when preparing your lunch.
Plan ahead. Use a grocery list when shopping to avoid buying food you don’t need. Modify recipes so you only make what you think you will actually eat.
Bring Your Own. Bring grocery bags, mesh net produce bags to package and carry goods. Keep the reuseable bags in your car and purse to ensure they are always accessible and not forgotten
Buy second-hand. Buying previously owned items helps support the local economy and keeps waste out of the landfill. Second hand shopping extends an item's life and reduces the demand for fast-fashion, making it a more sustainable option. Used products are also less expensive, don’t require new resources or energy to create, and have the added bonus of having no packaging to deal with.
Buy in bulk. Purchasing bulk grocery store items that can be put into reusable containers or bags eliminates unnecessary packaging and extra unneeded items, and repurposes old or unused containers.
Be Water Wise. Consider using drought tolerant and native plants. Use compost to help retain water. Let your lawn go brown in the summer. Consider investing in an irrigation controller with a rainwater sensor. Install rainwater barrels.
Bulk soil and compost. Use a reuseable container to purchase soil, compost, rocks, etc. from your garden center.
Recycle. Tap away dirt residue from plastic plant plots and place in your blue recycling cart. Empty plastic fertilizer containers can also go in the blue cart. Stretchy plastic soil bags can be dropped off at a recycling depot.
Wrap wisely. Wrap gifts in reusable materials such as cloth bags, dish towels or receiving blankets that can be used over and over again.
Give less garbage. Holidays and celebrations can generate an extraordinary amount of garbage. Consider giving gifts of culture, wellness, time and experiences that don’t generate waste.
Compost. Pumpkins and natural Christmas trees can be placed in your green compost cart with the lid completely closed. Natural Christmas trees can also be dropped off at Net Zero Waste.
Love Food Hate Waste
Did you know that 63% of food Canadians throw away could, at one point, have been eaten? For the average Canadian household that amounts to 140 kilograms of waste food per year – at a cost of more than $1,100 per year. All types of food are wasted, but in Canada the most commonly wasted foods by weight are vegetables, fruit, leftovers, bread and bakery items, followed by dairy and eggs.
The good news is that this problem is easy to solve. The City has teamed up with the Fraser Valley Regional District to participate in the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign with the hopes of inspiring and empowering residents to make their food go further and waste less. The Love Food Hate Waste campaign offers tips on food storage, meal planning and smarter shopping habits to help people avoid over-purchasing, and therefore throwing out, food.
Archway Community Services (ACS) provides recycling educational services on behalf of the City through a school education program and workshops for community groups. ACS also operates a Recycling Education Centre located at the Abbotsford Mission Recycling Depot (33670 Valley Rd). To request a classroom presentation, field trip or community workshop regarding recycling, please visit Archway Community Services - Recycling Education Program for more information.
WildSafeBC offers the WildsafeBC Ranger Program to introduce students to the concept of human-wildlife conflict. It encourages them to take an active role in reducing human-wildlife conflicts by helping their families identify wildlife attractants around their home. The program fosters a respectful relationship with all wildlife that emphasizes keeping wildlife wild and communities safe, while also complementing the BC science K-9 curriculum. To request a WildsafeBC Ranger presentation, contact the Fraser Valley Community Coordinator at fraservalley@wildsafebc.com or 604-702-5086.
Check out the videos listed below for information on a recycling, compostables, garbage, and waste reduction. Additional videos are available on the City's YouTube account.
What Happens to My Recycling? View a short 3 minute video to learn about what happens to your recycling after the City collects your blue bag at the curb. View an infographic from Recycle BC for more information.
Metro Vancouver - Think Thrice View a website containing tips and ideas on how to reduce, repair and donate your clothes to help minimize landfill waste.
Zero Waste Canada Training Programs The ZWC programs are designed to provide a solid foundation of Zero Waste practices, policies, values, and concepts, with the aim of helping the general public, waste professionals and community leaders gain knowledge on Zero Waste practices.
The Story of Stuff The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of production and consumption patterns.
The Story of Bottled Water This 8 minute film explores the bottled water industry and encourages the public to invest in clean, available tap water.
The Story of Change This 6 minute film urges viewers to put down their credit cards and start exercising their citizen muscles to build a more sustainable, just and fulfilling world.
RiverBlue Can fashion save the planet? This documentary examines the effects of the textile industry on rivers and humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future.
The True Cost: The Price Behind A Piece of Clothing This 92-minute documentary tells a story about clothes: of the ones we wear, of the people behind the making of our clothes as well as the impacts of the clothing industry on the planet that we inhabit.
The Clean Bin Project Is it possible to live completely waste free? Partners Jen and Grant go head to head in a competition to see who can swear off consumerism and produce the least garbage. Film length is 76 minutes.
Just Eat It This 77-minute documentary is about food waste and food rescue.
Dirt! The Movie Dirt! The Move brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that soil has. Film length is 86 minutes.
