Recycle BC’s executive director Sam Baker on his worst day: When a Vancouver snowstorm shut down recycling

As executive director of Recycle BC, Sam provides continued leadership and oversight to ensure the success of BC’s recycling program for residential packaging and paper. With over 10 years of impact as North America’s first full extended producer responsibility for packaging and paper, Sam leads Recycle BC to support collecting, receiving, processing, reporting, and responsibly recycling collected material.

I joined Recycle BC, BC’s residential packaging and paper recycling program, as Manager of Logistics in October 2016. At the time, I was just over two months into the role. In addition to ensuring packaging and paper are collected, received, sorted, and recycled responsibly, we also play a role in collecting material from residents, including in the City of Vancouver, and I was quickly learning the full scope of our operations.

Vancouver experienced multiple arctic outbreaks through the winter of 2016–2017, from December to February, with snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures. Road conditions became treacherous, especially in alleyways where recycling is commonly collected. These lanes weren’t a priority for snow clearing, and the few vehicles that did get through compacted the snow into slick, icy ruts. In the hillier parts of the city, it was especially dangerous. The timing made things even more difficult: it was right after Christmas, one of the busiest times of the year for recycling. With collection being delayed, material began piling up, and for some residents, it meant going weeks without service.

I had been with Recycle BC just over two months when this all began. Initially, I was tasked with liaising between our collection contractor and the City of Vancouver to resolve service issues that arose under the challenging weather conditions. But that quickly evolved into coordinating the logistics of the collection effort between our partner, the city, and our team. I began mapping out the properties that had missed collections, identifying routes that couldn’t be safely accessed, and tracking alleyway conditions—then sharing that information to help keep everyone aligned and prioritized. I even joined in on some house-to-house collection myself. That experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the scale of Recycle BC’s operations and just how vital our partnerships are in making the system work.

We knew we had to get the recycling collected, especially from households that had been missed week after week due to the inaccessible alleyways. I remember testing the conditions myself in my personal 4×4, only to slide backwards down a steep alleyway—it was extremely treacherous. Regular collection trucks couldn’t make it through, even with added support. A pick-up truck became the most viable option, so we rented U-Haul pick-ups to service the most challenging locations while coordinating with contractors elsewhere. But it soon became clear those trucks couldn’t carry much, and the trips to the transfer station were long. We adapted by working with another collection partner to acquire cube vans and position them at central hubs, like community centres. Smaller trucks could unload quickly at the hubs and return to their routes, keeping the system moving.

As the situation escalated, it became harder to identify problem areas and prioritize limited resources. Between our team, our collection partner, and the City of Vancouver, we were fielding more than a hundred calls a day about missed recycling. To bring some order to the chaos, I created simple tracking tools to centralize the information and feed it back to the team in a clear, organized way. That gave us a more effective strategy, kept us aligned with partners, and ultimately helped get recycling collection back on track within a couple of weeks—supported by steady communication and, eventually, a break in the weather.

It was absolutely a team effort. Everyone pitched in—whether it was answering phones, coordinating with contractors, or physically collecting material. For a team more accustomed to overseeing contracts than doing the hands-on work, it was eye-opening. The physical demands gave us new respect for the challenges our collection partners face on the ground. What kept everyone motivated was the shared vision: ensuring residents’ recycling was collected and processed. People committed fully to the challenge and the energy of it, and it’s something we’ve talked about ever since.

The overwhelming response was relief. The City had redirected hundreds of staff to clear streets and sidewalks and had multiple crews out daily collecting garbage and organics. By comparison, we’re a relatively small team, so we didn’t have those kinds of resources to deploy internally. But with support from our collection partners, our field staff, and even local residents who stepped in for short-term work, we managed to catch up and keep recycling moving. For residents, seeing that continuity of service in such tough conditions reinforced the value of the system — and it allowed us to keep material out of landfills and recycle it as intended.

Looking back, it’s interesting to see how our approach evolved in real time. Those first runs with pick-up trucks were focused on reaching the most affected homes, but we quickly realized we were spending more time driving material to receiving facilities than actually collecting it. That challenge pushed us to pivot to a hub-and-spoke model, which proved far more effective and became a method we continued to use. The experience underscored an important lesson: you have to be willing to try, learn, and adapt. With trial, experience, and clear communication, you often find better solutions. That mindset continues to guide how we operate today—from innovating in collection to verifying end markets and ensuring 98% of the plastics we collect are sent for recycling to be turned into new products. It’s a big part of why Recycle BC continues to be successful.

One of the biggest lessons I took away—and still carry with me—is the power of a shared vision. During that storm, everyone came together because they cared about ensuring this essential service continued. Whether it was a collection partner determined to complete their routes, the City of Vancouver focused on supporting residents, or our own team at Recycle BC ensuring packaging and paper were responsibly recycled, everyone understood what was at stake and the role they had to play. That’s true for any team: being united behind a clear vision allows every individual to leverage their strengths and move collectively toward a goal.

Those weeks taught me lessons that still guide my decisions. As an organization, we continue to innovate and drive change in an industry that’s constantly evolving. And we do it through partnerships across many different jurisdictions—with municipalities, contractors, businesses, and residents—each playing a critical role in ensuring packaging and paper are successfully collected, processed, and recycled. It’s because of that collective effort that we’re able to send over 90% of the material we collect for recycling. Our strongest partnerships are built around shared goals: exploring new ideas, testing them, learning, and evolving them together. That spirit of collaboration is what I carried forward from those unforgettable weeks, and it remains the most rewarding part of my role today—seeing just how much we can accomplish collectively.