As ElectroRecycle Summer Ambassadors, we get to spend a lot of our time traveling throughout British Columbia. Our objective, this time, was to visit communities located in the North of Vancouver Island. We travel to recycle small appliances and power tools, and therefore, ensure proper management of end-of-life products.
On our way to Nanaimo
Last Wednesday, we made our way to the coastal city of Nanaimo to complete the remainder of our Vancouver Island tour that we began in May. Our first event was the Island Roots Market Co-op nestled within the lush greenery of Beban Park. We were happy to see locals come by with their arms full of toasters, kettles and even some electric toothbrushes! Even those who did not have a recyclable were happy to chat and learn more about ElectroRecycle!
The following day, we set up in the Port Place Shopping Center in front of London Drugs. It was a great opportunity to reach out to those who could not attend the market. We even had someone from Protection Island pay us a visit and drop off a couple of broken toaster ovens to recycle.
Stopover at Lasqueti Island
On Friday, we collaborated with Mark Bottomley from the Recycling Centre on Lasqueti Island with the goal to collect as many broken small appliances and power tools from this remote location as possible. The island is situated off the grid, relying solely on solar panels and generators for electricity. For that reason, we weren’t sure how much of a collection we would get. However, by the end of the day, we had a boat full (quite literally!) of power tools and other household appliances to bring back to the Parksville Bottle and Recycling depot, weighing over 400 kgs! Getting the chance to visit the island was worth the trip alone! But being able to recycle that much made it such an amazing experience!
Next on the map: Hornby Island
Saturday brought along our next island adventure at the Hornby Island Market. A hop, skip, and a jump away, it took us two ferries to reach this island gem, nestled between Denman Island and the Strait of Georgia. After the market, we stopped to visit the Hornby Island Recycling Depot and of course the free store for some funky reused fashion. Naturally, on such a beautiful island, we had to sport our new-to-us clothes with a photoshoot!
Comox & Port McNeill
On Sunday, we let our sea legs rest and attended the Comox Valley Farmers Market in the village of Cumberland. We had a lovely time getting to know the community. The next day, we had the pleasure of meeting with the Comox Valley Regional District to discuss partnering up with its surrounding Gulf Islands in the future. We also chatted about the possibility to establish our program within their local school district. If your community is interested in participating at or hosting a collection event with ElectroRecycle, please let us know! You can reach out to us via email at info@cesarecycling.ca.
After the meeting, we made our way up to Port McNeill which borders Queen Charlotte Strait, offering up beautiful ocean views and thick west coast forest. As we meandered northwards, we stopped at several recycling depots to discuss community outreach initiatives.
Keep an eye out for the second half of our trip where we make our way towards Powell River and the Sunshine Coast to host several collections events with communities along the way!
Next stop: Powell River and the Sunshine Coast!
We will be attending:
- Collection with the Tla’amin Nation in Powell River – Wed. July 24
- Gibsons’ Persephone recycling event – Thursday, July 25, 1-6 pm
- Roberts Creek recycling event – Friday, July 26, 2-6 pm
- Sechelt Farmers Market – Saturday, July 27, 9-2:30 pm
Swing by and drop off your small appliances and power tools, give our trivia wheel a spin or give our ring toss a go to learn more about our 200+ recycling depots!
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