Garbage Disposal in Maple Ridge
As you may be aware, the system used to deal with household waste in Maple Ridge is unique in Metro Vancouver.
In 1972, before most municipalities started recycling, Ridge Meadows Recycling Society began working with residents to recycle their newspaper, cardboard, glass, and metals and divert these items away from Maple Ridge’s Cottonwood Landfill.
From the beginning, Maple Ridge council wanted to be clear about the distinction between recycling (a reusable commodity) and garbage (costs $ to bury or burn).
Garbage facilities in the Lower Mainland are part of Metro Vancouver’s Solid Waste Management Plan and include six transfer stations, where people and garbage companies can drop off their garbage. Trucks then haul the garbage to an incinerator in Burnaby, the Cache Creek Landfill, or the Vancouver Landfill.- Weekly curbside recycling pickup for 94% of Maple Ridge residents with no limit on the amount of recycling they set out for pickup. We continue to expand our Blue/Red/Grey Recycling Box Pickup Route as density levels in rural areas make them cost-effective
- A multi-material recycling depot with public drop-off area located at the entrance to Metro Vancouver’s Maple Ridge Recycling & Waste Centre for Garbage, Green Waste, Mattress, & Gypsum (Drywall) Drop-off
- Residents are responsible for their own garbage and green waste disposal, either bringing it directly to Metro Vancouver’s Waste Center next to the Recycling Depot or by contracting directly with a private hauler (see list below)
Since Metro Vancouver’s Organics Disposal Ban came into effect in 2015, companies must pick up organics (food waste) separately from regular garbage. Ideally, organics would be picked up weekly to reduce odours and since there is so little garbage left after removing recyclables and organics, garbage can be picked up once every two weeks (biweekly).
Some of the companies that provide garbage and organics pickup services in Maple Ridge include:
- AJM Disposal – 604-590-1857, www.ajmdisposal.com
- Captain Recycling – 604-783-1221, www.captainrecycling.com
- Clutter to Cash – 604-479-1412, www.cluttertocash.com
- LBR Recycling – 604-826-1123, www.littlebigrecycling.com
- Maple Leaf Disposal 604-533-4993, www.mapleleafdisposal.com
- Noble Disposal – 604-619-1526, www.nobledisposal.ca
- Pioneer Disposal (formerly Blockstar) – 1-844-646-6337, www.pioneerdisposal.com
- Progressive Waste – 604-525-2072, www.progressivewaste.com
- Waste Management – 1-800-774-9748, www.wmcanada.com
*search “Maple Ridge Garbage” for more options
This system is designed to make consumers more aware of the cost of garbage and the value of recycling, and encourages them to make choices when purchasing products to produce less waste and recycle as much as possible.
Metro Vancouver now charges a minimum $50 surcharge, or up to 50% of the tipping fee, for garbage loads containing recyclable items. Check out Metro Vancouver’s list of items banned from the landfill. To contact Metro Vancouver with questions about their Maple Ridge Waste Centre, phone 604-681-5600- it gives residents the opportunity to save money by relying on a “user pay” system – the less waste you produce, the less you pay for its disposal.
- by locating the Maple Ridge Recycling Depot on the way to Metro Vancouver’s Maple Ridge Recycling & Waste Centre for Garbage, Green Waste, Mattress, & Gypsum (Drywall) Drop-off, it is very convenient for residents taking a load of garbage in to drop off all recyclables first and lower their tipping fees.
- if residents choose to arrange curbside garbage pickup with a private company, they are aware of the costs associated with garbage and have a choice of service providers and frequency of pickup.
If you are unclear whether an item is recyclable or not, call us at 604-463-5545, or contact the Recycling Council of BC who can answer questions specific to your community through the Recyclepedia search, phone, text, chat, or email.
