The islands will have a 'new-to-us' recycling cube van by mid-April to carry plastic, paper and cans from community depots to the landfill in Port Clements.
The regional district bought the 2003 GMC one ton truck from National/Tilden for $32,000. It comes with 29,000 kilometres on it, and the bulk of the factory warranty, said Tim Deschamp, the regional district waste management supervisor.
The old van is 10 years old, and will hopefully be sold, said Mr. Deschamp.
The truck will carry recyclables to the Port Clements landfill, where they are stored in a trailer van that is hauled to Prince Rupert six times a year.
The islands recycled 100 tonnes of material last year. Paper and plastic are sold to mills in the south and the cans are sold for scrap metal, said Mr. Deschamp.
The regional district's recycling program doesn't pay for itself directly, said Mr. Deschamp, but the program does extend the life of the district's landfills, which are expensive to replace, and it benefits the environment.