The “Pink Bin” era has officially arrived in Vancouver: as of February 2026, residents living in apartments, condos, and multi-family complexes can finally recycle flexible plastic packaging directly within their own buildings. This major initiative, coordinated by Recycle BC, eliminates the need for residents to transport bags and pouches to distant depots, bringing sustainability directly to their doorsteps. The program aims to significantly boost the recovery rates of some of the most challenging plastic types in the waste stream.
Vancouver’s shift to at-home flexible plastic collection marks a turning point in urban waste management. For years, residents in multi-family buildings were required to store their plastic bags, outer wraps, and crinkly wrappers separately and take them to designated depots or retail return locations. With the introduction of dedicated pink collection containers, Vancouver is streamlining the process to ensure these materials are diverted from landfills and kept within the circular economy.
What Goes in the Pink Bin? Defining Flexible Plastics
The success of the program depends on precise sorting by residents. The new pink bins are specifically designed for “flexible plastics,” a category of material that was previously excluded from the standard blue bin system because its lightweight, stretchy, or crinkly nature would clog the machinery at automated sorting facilities.
Residents can now place the following items in the pink bins:
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Plastic Bags and Outer Wrap: This includes grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, and the large plastic film used to wrap multi-packs of paper towels, toilet paper, or cases of water.
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Stand-up and Zipper-lock Pouches: Flexible pouches used for frozen foods, baby food, dried fruit, or coffee, as well as resealable bags like “Ziploc” pouches.
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Crinkly Wrappers and Bags: Chip bags, candy wrappers, granola bar wrappers, cereal box liners, and pasta bags.
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Woven and Net Plastic Bags: Woven plastic bags used for rice or salt, and the plastic mesh bags often found on citrus fruits, onions, or avocados.
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Protective Packaging: Bubble wrap and plastic air pillows used in shipping and e-commerce.
The Local Recycling Loop: From Vancouver to Delta
Recycle BC places a high priority on ensuring that collected materials are managed responsibly and locally. Once the pink bins are collected, the flexible plastics are transported to the Merlin Plastics processing facility located in Delta, B.C. (Metro Vancouver).
The transformation process involves several sophisticated steps:
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Sorting and Baling: The materials are further sorted by resin type to ensure purity.
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Cleaning and Pelletizing: The plastic is shredded, thoroughly cleaned to remove food residues or adhesives, and then melted down into small plastic pellets.
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Manufacturing New Products: These pellets serve as secondary raw materials for local manufacturers. They are used to create industrial piping, plastic pallets, park benches, waste bins, and even new types of packaging.
By processing the material within British Columbia, the program dramatically reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting waste and supports the local green economy.
Logistics and Scale: 4,500 Containers and 50% Recovery Goal
The scale of the rollout is a massive undertaking. For the mid-February launch, approximately 4,500 pink containers were distributed to multi-family buildings across Vancouver. The collection service is managed by two primary contractors: Recycling Alternative, which handles the Downtown and False Creek areas, and Emterra Environmental, which services the rest of the city.
The strategic targets of the program are backed by clear quantitative goals:
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Recovery Targets: Recycle BC aims to reach a 50% recovery rate for flexible plastics by 2027, a significant leap from the roughly 24% recovery rate seen in previous years when depot-only systems were the primary option.
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Waste Composition: Data from Metro Vancouver suggests that nearly 20% of the waste currently sent to landfills consists of plastics that could theoretically be recycled through programs like this one.
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Processing Efficiency: More than 90% of the plastic collected by Recycle BC is successfully recycled into new materials, rather than being diverted to energy recovery or landfill.
Why Pink? The Logic of Color-Coding
The choice of bright pink for the lids and bin markings was a deliberate strategic decision. The goal was to create a container that is immediately recognizable and distinct from the blue (paper and containers), grey (glass), and green (organics) bins. The vibrant pink color helps reduce contamination—the accidental mixing of incorrect materials—by signaling to residents that these bins require a specific type of material that is handled differently from standard recycling.
The Vancouver launch builds on the success of pilot programs in West Vancouver and Maple Ridge in 2025, where the introduction of at-home collection led to a sharp increase in recovered material. In a city where apartment living far outweighs single-family homes, this multi-family rollout is the most critical step yet in Vancouver’s journey toward a zero-waste future.
Official Sources and References:
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Official Announcement: Recycle BC – Flexible Plastics Recycling in Vancouver
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City Resources: City of Vancouver – Waste Disposal and Recycling
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Program FAQ: Recycle BC – Frequently Asked Questions
