It’s been roughly seven months since the TNRD joined Recycle BC, and it’s been a great partnership.

That’s according to TNRD Waste Reduction Coordinator Andrew Roebbelen, who says they’ve got a good working relationship with staff at Recycle BC.

“They are very supportive along the way because one of the biggest things with the change is getting that information out to the public and educating them, and Recycle BC has really been there to help with that,” he said.

Roebbelen says recycling rates in the TNRD will improve with time, as more and more people get the message to properly sort their waste.

He notes it’s hard to tell right now if there’s been an increase in waste that’s being diverted away from the landfills.

“Because so much of what was being quote-unquote recycled may not have actually been recycled,” Roebbelen noted. “It could have ended up offshore and being burned, we don’t necessarily know.”

“Now that we are handling everything in province, we actually know that what we are collecting is being recycled.”

However, Roebbelen said that across the TNRD in January, roughly 10 tons of plastics was recycled in that one month alone.

Back when the TNRD joined Recycle BC, the partnership was estimated to save roughly $650,000 a year.