Community Articles
General News · 13th June 2022
Ester
Ocean Plastic Depot Now Open in Cumberland
Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) has opened an ocean debris recycling depot in partnership with Ocean Legacy Foundation at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, 3699 Bevan Road in Cumberland. This depot will accept materials from shoreline cleanup efforts and legacy equipment from the marine sector, providing essential infrastructure to divert these plastic resources from the landfill and reduce oceanic pollution.
Accepted materials include abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, marine debris, and legacy equipment including some netting and rope, polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), hard plastic and select buoys. Advanced notice is required in order to drop off ocean debris at the new depot, as all the materials need to be sorted in advance. For more information and to sign up to use the depot, please contact Alys Hoyland at alysoceanlegacy.ca.
“Ocean Legacy is excited to launch this opportunity with CSWM to reduce the pollution in our coastal communities and protect our precious marine environments,” explained Chloé Dubois, Executive Director of Ocean Legacy Foundation. “This development will allow us to capture plastic wastes, divert them from landfill and responsibly recycle items to not only support innovative technologies but further implement pragmatic solutions to grow the Canadian plastic circular economy.”
Stephanie Valdal, CSWM Services Coordinator, described the importance of the new service for the coastal communities within the region. “A large portion of our service area is coastal and our residents experience materials that wash ashore annually. To be able to recycle this material is a great opportunity for our service and the environment. The CSWM is thrilled to be working with Ocean Legacy Foundation on this project and we are happy to offer this as a new service.”
“We applaud Ocean Legacy and CSWM for launching this service to handle marine debris,” said Liz Johnston of the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards (ADIMS). “This will be a positive step to address and handle the serious marine plastic problem in Baynes Sound and surrounding waters."
Marine debris collected at the depot will be sent to the Ocean Legacy processing centre at Steveston Harbour, BC, where it will be further sorted, cleaned and recycled. This will be the third depot of its kind on Vancouver Island, with others located at Powell River in the qathet Regional District and Ucluelet in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. This ocean debris diversion program is made possible through funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Tourism Vancouver Island, and forms part of Ocean Legacy Foundation’s national strategy to address marine plastic pollution by creating end of life solutions for marine debris and developing a circular economy for plastics.
All questions and media inquiries can be directed to Stephanie Valdal, Comox Strathcona Waste Management Services Coordinator, at 250-792-0026.
Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) has opened an ocean debris recycling depot in partnership with Ocean Legacy Foundation at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, 3699 Bevan Road in Cumberland. This depot will accept materials from shoreline cleanup efforts and legacy equipment from the marine sector, providing essential infrastructure to divert these plastic resources from the landfill and reduce oceanic pollution.
Accepted materials include abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, marine debris, and legacy equipment including some netting and rope, polystyrene foam (Styrofoam), hard plastic and select buoys. Advanced notice is required in order to drop off ocean debris at the new depot, as all the materials need to be sorted in advance. For more information and to sign up to use the depot, please contact Alys Hoyland at alysoceanlegacy.ca.
“Ocean Legacy is excited to launch this opportunity with CSWM to reduce the pollution in our coastal communities and protect our precious marine environments,” explained Chloé Dubois, Executive Director of Ocean Legacy Foundation. “This development will allow us to capture plastic wastes, divert them from landfill and responsibly recycle items to not only support innovative technologies but further implement pragmatic solutions to grow the Canadian plastic circular economy.”
Stephanie Valdal, CSWM Services Coordinator, described the importance of the new service for the coastal communities within the region. “A large portion of our service area is coastal and our residents experience materials that wash ashore annually. To be able to recycle this material is a great opportunity for our service and the environment. The CSWM is thrilled to be working with Ocean Legacy Foundation on this project and we are happy to offer this as a new service.”
“We applaud Ocean Legacy and CSWM for launching this service to handle marine debris,” said Liz Johnston of the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards (ADIMS). “This will be a positive step to address and handle the serious marine plastic problem in Baynes Sound and surrounding waters."
Marine debris collected at the depot will be sent to the Ocean Legacy processing centre at Steveston Harbour, BC, where it will be further sorted, cleaned and recycled. This will be the third depot of its kind on Vancouver Island, with others located at Powell River in the qathet Regional District and Ucluelet in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. This ocean debris diversion program is made possible through funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Tourism Vancouver Island, and forms part of Ocean Legacy Foundation’s national strategy to address marine plastic pollution by creating end of life solutions for marine debris and developing a circular economy for plastics.
All questions and media inquiries can be directed to Stephanie Valdal, Comox Strathcona Waste Management Services Coordinator, at 250-792-0026.