Information Services
We’re here to answer recycling questions from the residents of BC. We’ve been providing information and education about BC programs and services for more than 30 years.
Mission and Vision
Founded in 1974, RCBC is Canada’s longest serving recycling council, but we’re about more than just recycling. We work to help avoid and reduce the unnecessary use of resources before they ever need to be recycled. The RCBC Residential Reuse program promotes reuse through a network of free-to-use web sites, such as Surreyreuses.com, that offer items and list events, such as garage sales.
When B.C. residents and businesses have questions about how to handle end-of-life materials, we provide information about the options available through the Recycling Hotline and the online Recyclepedia. Each year, our Information Services staff answer more than 200,000 questions about pollution prevention, waste reduction and recycling from across B.C.
Our members are local, regional and provincial governments, businesses large and small, non-profit organizations, and interested individuals who recognize the importance of coming together to work on B.C.’s long-term climate sustainability.
Discover
Take a deeper dive and find out more about what we do, whom we work with, and what you can do.
Events & Education
We partner and collaborate with governments, private sector organizations, non-profits, community groups, and academia to hold space for constructive dialogue on innovation and solutions.
Initiatives & Policies
Find out more about zero waste and circular economy policies, programs and projects, the latest research, and what you can do.
Guiding Principles
Our work is always guided by these foundational principles.
Precautionary Principle
Operating with this principle ensures that decision-makers take precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain. It ensures that innovation is checked by using caution.
Design for the Environment
Design products and services in such a way as to reduce the environmental impact, going far beyond the inclusion of recycled materials, proper packaging and disposal.
Continuous Improvement
Policies, products, services, and processes are improved on an ongoing basis through continuous evaluation and adjustment.
Zero Waste
Zero waste means no discharges to land, water, or air that negatively impact the environment or human health.
Polluter Pays
Those who produce pollution must pay for managing it to prevent damage to human health or the environment.
Level Playing Field
The same rules apply to all industries and to all products, both domestic and imported.
Donate Today
Help us provide the most up to date recycling information to people across BC, and continue our leading-edge work researching and advocating for policies that will move us towards a circular economy.
Through our Recycling Hotline and Recyclepedia, we are BC’s most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information for curbside recycling programs, product stewardship programs, and other waste reduction and reuse options for materials that BC’s residents, businesses, institutions and governments deal with every day.
We are Canada’s longest-serving recycling council, established in 1974, and 100% of your donation goes directly to RCBC operations!
Our People
Meet our dedicated Board of Directors and our small but mighty staff team here.
Careers
Join RCBC and focus your passion and energy for climate solutions on helping BC move toward a circular economy.
Strategic Plan
RCBC is committed to working toward creating a circular economy in BC.
We’ll do this by informing and educating the public, businesses and institutions through raising awareness of the circular economy and sharing strategies for moving our collective actions up the waste hierarchy.
We’ll influence systems and frameworks in support of more robust norms, guidelines, resources, and legislation for a circular economy and waste reduction.
And, to serve this work, we will convene our colleagues, partners, allies and sector experts to discuss innovation, deepen our understanding and build capacity.
We expect to release our new Strategic Objectives soon, so stay tuned!
Resources
RCBC is treasure trove of information from local government and industry data, to research happening right here at home, to best practices around the world. Take a look at our library, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, give us a call.
Our Sponsors
Our sponsors currently include the BC government, various regional districts, and product stewardship agencies.
