Recycling Alternative

Our Social & Environmental Commitments

Mission:

To enact positive social change by opening up the conversation around waste and demonstrating how waste reduction and prevention can inform and drive sustainable living and business. We will achieve this by delivering local, inclusive, and innovative programs for waste prevention and recycling.

Core Values:

Integrity - Even in the face of adversity, we do what is best for our customers and community. We deliver on what we say we will do.

Community - We develop collaborative programs, foster local partnerships, provide inclusive employment, and support local.

Environmentalism - We are inspired by and strive to inspire social action and behaviour change that contributes to a world in balance with nature.

Innovation - We challenge the status quo by developing exciting new models for waste reduction and recycling.

Our Pledge to Prevent Pollution: 

Continuous Assessment & Improvement: RA will revisit practices and procedures as needed to identify opportunities to:

1. eliminate use of harmful products that have environmentally sound alternatives

2. reduce and minimize the use of products that are harmful to the environment

3. create processes to mitigate the unavoidable negative impacts of dealing with other companies’ waste

How do we do this?

• We use non-toxic and bio-degradable cleaning products for our facility

• We implemented a waste water filtration system for our warehouse tote washing station

• We operate with a fleet of small and medium sized trucks for local collections

• We partner with Shift Delivery to use electric tricycles for urban recycling collection

• We installed motion sensor lighting in the warehouse

• We participate in all BC Stewardship programs

• We collect multiple material streams with a single truck

Our Pledge to Procure with Conscience:

Buy Local First: RA will prioritize where possible procurement of supplies, consumables and furnishings from companies who: 

1. can offer pre-owned goods

2. produce goods locally in Vancouver, then BC, then Canada

3. whose manufacturing involves the least harm to living beings and the environment 

Reuse & Donation: RA will champion Reuse and Donation by:

1. connecting clients with local charities to consider donation before disposal

2. posting usable goods on Craigslist prior to disposal

3. repairing goods to keep them for as long as possible

How do we do this?

• We support LOCO and its businesses

• We buy pre-owned furniture for our office

• We buy 100% post-consumer recycled paper for our Recycling Guides

• We donate re-usable goods to local charities like Union Gospel Mission and the Greater Vancouver Food Bank

Our Pledge to Co-Create Our Community 

Community Development & Support: RA believes in supporting the development and betterment of the environment and social community of which we are a part of by:

1. joining and participating in initiatives that support local and sustainable development

2. realizing opportunities to employ community members that have barriers to employment

3. giving back to the community through supporting local events and charitable causes whose ethics and actions align with RA’s Mission.

How do we do this?

• We are members of LOCO and the National Zero Waste Council

• We co-locate with United We Can bottle depot in the greenHUB

• We work with community organizations like the Binner’s Project,  The Neil Quire Society, The Open Door Group and The Canadian Mental Health Association

• We partnered with Vancouver Farmers Markets to run Food Scrap Drop Spots prior to wide spread organics recycling collection

• We provided space and facilitation to the Master Recycler Vancouver Program

• We participate in local governance and industry standards and initiatives meetings 

Our Pledge to Think Long Term and Innovate

Positive Vision: RA operates based on a long term vision of a world without waste with business fully integrated and involved by:

1. piloting and demonstrating new technology and practices to help reduce and prevent waste

2. engaging our clients with compassion, and clear and simple terms

3. by engaging the local community to participate in future-thinking solutions

How do we do this?

• We operated and managed the Vancouver Bio-Diesel Co-op fuel pump from 2003 to 2014

• We developed and custom manufactured our Zero Waste truck

• We created and use composting machines that reduce organic waste volumes by up to 80%

• We work with Green Chair Recycling and Vancity to provide sustainable events and festivals