What is 'wishcycling,' and why are some B.C. municipalities cracking down on it?
Municipalities in British Columbia are addressing 'wishcycling,' the practice of placing non-recyclable items in recycling bins, which contaminates waste streams. Officials are considering fines to reduce contamination and protect the integrity of the recycling system.
Why it matters
Contamination in recycling streams increases costs and can lead to recyclable materials being sent to landfills instead of being processed.
The word is a portmanteau of "wishful thinking" and "recycling," and is an ongoing challenge for the recycling system across British Columbia.
“Wishcycling is when we see residents or people using the recycling carts throwing material in them that is not recycling in the hopes that somehow the material will end up where it needs to be," Ben Routledge, the Regional District of Nanaimo's manager of solid waste services, told CBC's On the Island .
It's become enough of an issue in the Nanaimo area that officials are looking at fines for scofflaws.
April 9, 2019 | Duration 2:23 Everything you need to know about recycling in B.C. Recycle B.C., the non-profit that manages residential packaging and paper recycling across the province, says just under six per cent of loads it receives are contaminated.
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