What Happens to Curbside Recycling?

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 - 6:15 AM

Since 2010 the Recycling Facility at Robin Hood Bay has processed 75,000 tonnes of paper and container reyclables.

What happens to the recyclables after that? Where do they go and what are they made into?

Is everything in blue bags recycled?
Yes, if it’s recyclable.

The amount of garbage (non-recyclables) put in blue bags with recycling is the contamination rate. Since curbside recycling began in St. John’s the contamination rate has been between 3% and 5% - this is the lowest across the country, where recycling contamination rates vary from 5% (us!) to 25%.

Our low contamination rate – due to bagging containers separate from papers, and by not including glass or plastic film (ie. plastic wrap) - makes our recycling a sought-after product in the marketplace and is why our curbside recycling program is so successful.

For years, the world’s biggest recycling market was in China, however in 2018 changes to address high contamination rates closed this market to many.

This change has not impacted the City of St. John’s and we’ve continued to supply the market with our recycling materials due to its low contamination; most of our recyclables go to Canadian markets.
Because we continue to produce a very clean product for manufacturers, you can be assured items are properly recycled, many of them in Canada.

Boxboard & Paper = Egg Cartons and Take Out Trays
Boxboard like cereal and cracker boxes and paper such as flyers, junk mail and office paper are sent to recyclers here in Atlantic Canada who make egg cartons and drink take-out trays.

Aluminum & Steel = MORE Aluminum & Steel
All soup, tuna and bean cans, aluminum/tin foil, and drink cans made of aluminum are sold to recyclers in Quebec who make more aluminum and steel products including steel beams, automotive parts, cans and nails.

Cardboard = MORE Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard has always been a product in-demand in the recycling marketplace. Since the rise in online shopping, manufacturers have a high demand for cardboard for shipping their products.

Cardboard from St. John’s is sold to markets in Quebec to make more corrugated cardboard.

Plastic = MORE Plastic products
Plastics such as containers and lids from food, drink and cleaning supplies are in high demand by manufacturers. Plastic recyclables are sold to markets in Ontario and Quebec where they are made into plastic lumber, corrosive-free piping, plastic bottles and toys.