Flexible Packaging Recycling Enters a New Era in British Columbia: What Recycle BC's new Programs mean for Brands and Residents

Flexible Plastics Curbside Pickup Kicks off in Maple Ridge

Two municipalities in Greater Vancouver—Maple Ridge and West Vancouver—are pioneering new curbside collection programs for soft plastics, also known as flexible plastics. These initiatives mark a major shift in how this challenging material stream is handled, and the implications for brands and the packaging industry are significant.

Maple Ridge launched its program in January 2025 through Recycle BC, following a successful pilot in West Vancouver. Residents of the Vancouver suburb can now recycle soft plastic bags and flexible packaging directly through curbside pickup on alternating weeks. West Vancouver followed this Spring, distributing pink collection boxes in May and launching monthly pickups beginning on June 2nd.

By integrating flexible plastics into regular curbside service, the programs aim to boost recovery rates, reduce landfill waste, and simplify the recycling process for households. While Maple Ridge residents experienced some initial confusion around collection schedules and accepted items, community response has been increasingly positive with programs remaining on track to meet their early performance targets.

Unified Collection Means Less Contamination

One of the most impactful changes is the move to a single-stream collection for flexible plastics. Residents are no longer required to separate different types of soft plastics—everything from overwrap and bread bags to chip bags, zipper-lock pouches, and bubble wrap can now go into one bag and be placed in a designated bin. See Recycle BC's website for the list of what is and isn't accepted. 

This simplification is designed to reduce contamination, ease consumer participation, and increase the efficiency of downstream processing. Materials collected through these programs are sent to Merlin Plastics in the Lower Mainland, where they’re converted into pellets for manufacturing new products.

For areas not yet included in the curbside rollout, soft plastic drop-off remains available at over 250 depot locations throughout BC.

Why This Matters to Brands and Converters

Historically, only about 20% of soft plastics in BC have been successfully recycled—a figure the province now aims to dramatically improve. For businesses that use flexible packaging, these new systems are more than just environmental progress—they're strategic infrastructure upgrades that directly benefit the industry:

• Supports sustainability claims with stronger post-consumer recovery systems

• Drives circularity by creating a consistent and local supply of recycled content

• Reduces costs related to compliance and material sourcing over time

• Fosters innovation by encouraging new product designs aligned with recycling capabilities

• Builds consumer trust through greater transparency and tangible action on waste reduction 

With Maple Ridge leading the initial charge, the Lower Mainland is quickly becoming a model for what’s possible in flexible packaging recovery. These programs are expected to scale province-wide in the coming years, signalling a major opportunity for brands to align with a more circular economy and promote sustainability.

At Associated Labels and Packaging, we’re proud to support packaging solutions that move the industry forward towards a circular economy in our community. Have questions about sustainable packaging? Contact us to learn more.