Earlier this month we took the ElectroRecycle mobile on a new adventure to the west coast of Vancouver Island. We had the opportunity to return to the community of Ahousaht and pair up with the local First Nation band to recycle and raise awareness about the program. Ahousaht is located on Flores Island, a 40-minute boat ride northwest of Tofino. Flores Island is a small island nestled in Clayoquot Sound. Most residents are members of the Ahousaht Nation and make up the largest group of the Nuu-chah-nulth or Nootka First Nation.
RecycleFest in Ahousaht
Our recycling event took place at the Thunderbird Hall in the heart of the village. This location allowed us to be visible and talk to everyone walking down the main street. People were very curious and enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring their broken small appliances and power tools for recycling. By the end of the day, we had nearly filled an entire mega bag! We had the pleasure of having Jenny Brunn, Operations Manager at the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, join us to help with the collection. The Regional District expressed a strong interest in our recycling events and offered to collaborate in order to better understand recycling services that are needed in the more remote areas of the district.
We also had the opportunity to visit the Ahousaht’s transfer station and were amazed by how clean and organized it was. Recently renovated, recycling items are now easily separated and protected from the wind and rain. This visit allowed us to collect even more small appliances and power tools, and eventually fill up our entire mega bag with more than 175 kilograms of small appliances and power tools.
Building relationships in Opitsaht
On Friday morning, we transported our collected appliances and power tools down to the marina with the help from the Ahousaht community. We loaded everything onto the water taxi to head to Opitsaht, a smaller community of approximately 150 people.
Opitsaht is located on Meares Island, across the inlet from Tofino. It is the home of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. We had the opportunity to chat with those in charge of waste management and public works and look forward to working together to host recycling events in the future.
Tofino Public Market
On Saturday, we attended the bustling Tofino Public Market. It’s always really nice to meet with locals and talk all about recycling. Being physically present at an event allows us to answer questions, get in-depth about the program and raise awareness among those who didn’t know that they can easily recycle small appliances and power tools. The nearest recycling depot to Tofino is located in Ucluelet, a 30-minute drive to the south. At the end of the event, we dropped in the Ucluelet Bottle Depot to recycle the market’s collection and received the warmest welcome from the staff.
If you don’t know where the nearest recycling location is to your home, check out our depot locator right here. You just have to enter your postal code, it’s that easy ? !
Our first event in Bamfield
Our last event of the trip took place in Bamfield, home to the nationally renowned Marine Sciences Center. Again, we had the pleasure to pair up with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District to host a recycling event at the East Transfer Station. It was a success and the local community repeatedly expressed their gratitude for having ElectroRecycle take the time to visit. What a great event!
We want to thank the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District for joining us during our west coast adventures. They came with so much energy and ideas on how to better assist the communities in their region. We look forward to working together again!
Keep an eye out for our future events…
- Pemberton Repair Cafe – Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 am-1 pm
- Zero Waste Reuse and Recycle Drop Off – Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 am-1 pm
- Zero Waste Reuse and Recycle Drop Off – Saturday, Sept. 29, 10 am-2 pm
Drop by with your broken or unwanted small appliances and power tools! We’re always happy to chat about the program!
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