Port Moody company lands $600K provincial grant to tackle plastic medical recycling

A Port Moody recycling company is getting a major boost from the province to turn hospital waste into economic opportunity.

Robust Recycling will receive $600,000 in 2025 through the CleanBC Plastics Action Fund for its Medical Supply Flexible Packaging Recycling (MSFPR) project, an initiative aimed at tackling the healthcare sector’s recycling challenges with post-consumer recycled plastics.

“Innovative recycling solutions for the healthcare, education, and government sectors are happening right here in Port Moody,” said Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Burquitlam. “It’s great to be able to support local employers who are contributing to a greener future.”

The MSFRP project focuses on diverting high-grade plastic materials like IV bags and syringe wrappers from landfills and incineration, while addressing the contamination risks that often make medical plastic unrecyclable. 

The aim is to promote a local circular economy and help create good, clean jobs right in the Tri-Cities.

The provincial funding is part of a $8 million investment in 34 new projects across B.C. this year, all aimed at reducing plastic waste, reusing materials, and creating low-waste communities.

“People in B.C. want to live in clean, healthy communities free from waste,” said Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks. “These projects are finding new and creative ways to make this a reality, while bringing more jobs to communities and supporting local economies throughout the province.”

Launched in 2020, the CleanBC Plastics Action Fund has now invested more than $35 million into 97 projects, including textile recycling, reusable cup programs at large events, zero-waste cleaning supply initiatives, and community-based dishwashing installations to reduce single-use dinnerware.

To date, the fund has helped create more than 240 direct long-term, full-time jobs in B.C., with more expected under this latest round of funding.

Fourteen of the 34 new projects funded this year are Indigenous-led, with more than $1.5 million dedicated to First Nations initiatives – bringing the total Indigenous investment to more than $3.7 million across 31 projects.

The fund is a key component of the broader CleanBC Plastics Action Plan, which includes single-use plastic bans and an expanded producer-funded recycling system.