Hey Cowichan,

Do you know what plastics belong in your curbside recycling tote?

A common misconception for plastic recycling stems from the numbered code inside the chasing arrows symbol stamped on many plastic items. This indicates the type of plastic the item is made of, not its recyclability. 

Keep it simple: the curbside recycling program accepts clean plastic packaging items and single-use plastics, only. This includes packaging such as plastic bottles, containers, cups, trays, and clamshells, as well as single-use utensils and straws. 

Plastic products, often called hard plastics (e.g. Rubbermaid totes, toys, plastic lawn furniture, etc.), are not household packaging and therefore are not accepted in the curbside program due to their differing compositions and recycling needs.

 To learn more about hard plastics and why you should keep them out of the recycling, visit: https://www.cvrd.ca/3432/Hard-Plastics

Unsure of what goes where? Call the Recycling Hotline at 250-746-2540.  Download the Cowichan Recycles App or use the Cowichan Recyclopedia to ensure that you are Recycling Right: https://www.cvrd.ca/2584/Recyclopedia