It may have been a rainy week, but spring is slowly settling in and with it, so is spring cleaning time. Metro Vancouver is reminding residents to use appropriate recycling or disposal options when getting rid of unwanted, bulky items such as sofas and mattresses.
Knowing where to get rid of large waste items can be a challenge. In fact, of those polled in a recent Metro Vancouver survey, 57 per cent of residents have the perception that disposing of bulky items is difficult while 45 per cent noted that cost was also a significant barrier for them.
However, Metro Vancouver wants residents to know that illegal dumping isn’t the answer.
“Abandoned waste is a costly problem for local municipalities, who collectively spend about $5 million per year on clean-up,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a press release, who is also the chair of the Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Committee. “We hope the Waste in its Place initiative will make the public more aware of the many cost-effective options currently available.”
Last year, some commonly dumped items were mattresses, furniture, appliances, carpeting, tiles, green waste and large amounts of household garbage.
If you’re looking to get rid of some larger items in Richmond, the city provides a collection service for up to four large household items per year including mattresses, furniture and appliances. For more information on how you can schedule a large item pick up, visit the city’s recycling website.
