Single-use face masks and some other Covid related Personal Protection Equipment can now be diverted from the landfill to a recycling facility.
Chief Green Officer for the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society, Oliver Berger, says this new recycling initiative got started a few months back with some funding from the City of Williams Lake to deal with the problem of an abundance of single-use masks.
“There’s a company down in Burnaby which is awesome. They collect all the used masks, disinfect them, melt them down, pelletize them, and then re-sell them back to the plastic. It’s a BC “Closing the Loop Option” and we decided to get some funds together and get a few boxes started up so Williams Lake could have that same option as well.”
Berger said they’ve been in touch with several businesses around town who were interested in having a recycling box at their location to deal with their own single-use face masks.
“Quite a few schools have reached out as well so they can offer this in the school or the classroom, a couple of pharmacies, we have a few daycares, and every week a few more people ask about it and want to get some boxes. We even had some requests from out of Williams Lake in Quesnel and 100 Mile House so it’s exciting that’s it’s growing.”
He added that before they get shipped out, there is a main collection box at Next GENeral Mercantile Refillery and so far they’ve already filled box one which can fit about 16-hundred masks.
Berger says anyone interested in taking part in the single-use face mask recycling project can reach out to the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society on social media or call 250-398-7929.