This spring, VSB teamed up with Recycle BC to pilot the first ever Flexible Plastic School Collection program. Typically, if you want to recycle any flexible plastic packaging (i.e. bread or produce bags, zipper-lock bags, granola bar wrappers, chip bags, etc.) you would have to collect these items and transport them to a zero-waste depot on your own. This extra step can be time-consuming and inconvenient, preventing properly recycling this type of plastics. 

Through VSB’s pilot program, students and staff were able to bring their flexible plastics to their school for recycling instead of going to a depot. The pilot aimed to see whether collecting flexible plastic at schools would make things easier and increase the amount of flexible plastic that gets recycled. 

During the month of May, 53 VSB schools participated in the pilot. An enormous 3,075 kg of flexible plastics were collected. That’s about as heavy as an orca whale! 

The top five schools collected more than 800 kg were:

“The program was amazing. Students’ families were excited and were bringing their plastic in weekly to school. It has also educated families who don't normally recycle these plastics at home,” says one teacher. 

Thompson Secondary Teacher Alex Plattner body surfing on some collected flexible plastic.

"PlStudents became the eco educators. There is so much flexible plastics in schools – from snacks to school supplies – that come wrapped up. Having this program in schools is fantastic! Teaching kids early to become environmentally responsible is wonderful,” says another VSB teacher. 

VSB is proud to have participated in this first-of-its-kind program. Thank you to everyone who participated and made this pilot an orca-sized success!