Port Coquitlam to add new curbside glass collection service in 2025, building on success of large item pickup pilot

Starting in 2025, residents of Port Coquitlam will be able to have glass picked up by the city, adding onto a popular pilot program helping residents dispose of unwanted bulky items.

Port Coquitlam council approved the new program by a unanimous vote of Nov. 7, which included making the Large Item Pickup program a permanent service.

Mayor Brad West said he was excited to finally be able to roll out curbside glass collection, as the service has been requested for a number of years by residents during budget consultations.

“Over those years we have looked at different ways to be able to deliver (the program) and we haven’t been able to find that path forward. But the stars have aligned,” West said. “We’re in a position to be able to deliver that in a very, very cost effective way.”

Once a month, the Curbside Glass Collection Program will pick up non-deposit glass from around 17,500 locations for single-family, duplexes, townhouses and multi-family residents.

Residents will sort their glass in a 24 litre bin and place it curbside on collection day.

The new program will have an annual operating cost of $88,500, but $71,000 can be funded from the existing budget, meaning the service will add $1.25 to a resident’s solid waste levy. The city plans to draw $325,000 next year from its reserves to purchase the bins and outfit two light-duty trucks for collection.

Currently the city has six community glass bins for residents to dispose of the non-deposit glass, which recycle around 120 tonnes annually.

Staff, however, said there have been documented issues related to abandoned waste and the complaints of inconvenient locations.

West said the new service will not only only offer convenience, but will reduce contamination in the city’s solid waste and recycling.

“We see some glass that doesn’t make it to the depots, but instead gets placed probably in the garbage bin,” he said. “This is going to be a really valued additional service.”

Coun. Nancy McCurrach agreed, stating it strengthens Port Coquitlam environmental responsibility by adding to the “circular economy.” 

“It takes a million years to break down glass if it’s put into a landfill, and it takes 30 days to recycle bottles to get them back on the shelf,” McCurrach said.

A curbside glass pickup service was recommended when the Large Item Pickup program was first approved as a pilot project in 2021, but was held back due to cost and budgetary constraints.

Staff describe the large item pickup service as an “overwhelming success,” reporting it receives more positive feedback than any other program in the city.

The city is now making the service permanent, giving it an operating budget of $324,000, and switching the funding source from general taxation to the solid waste levy at a cost of $19 per customer.

Twice a year, residents get (a maximum of three) large items like mattresses, furniture, appliances, tires, exercise equipment picked up and disposed of by the city.

More than 11,000 items have been picked up as of June, 2023, and use of the service is increasing, according to staff. 

Staff report the service receives more positive feedback than any other program in the city.

In 2022, nearly 2,500 total pickups were made by the city, disposing of over 4,000 items, with 22 percent of users requesting multiple pickups. 

A total of $160,000 will be allocated to purchase a vehicle and equipment from reserves.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” West said, noting that private companies offering junk removal services charge more than the city.