Waste Reduction

YVR uses a wide variety of methods to reduce waste—from recycling and composting to facilitating incentive programs for partners and conducting audits to help reduce the amount of waste produced. In 2015, YVR set an ambitious target of diverting 50% of total terminal waste from landfill by 2020, a target which we achieved in 2016. Diverted materials included bottles, paper, pallets, glass, metal and plastics.

With our current Environmental Management Plan, we will support the move to a zero-waste future by setting a goal to divert 60 per cent of our waste from landfill.

Our initiatives to reduce waste and increase diversion include:

• Creating a roadmap to increase food recovery
• Expanding the use of OSCAR, a self-sorting waste bin that uses Artificial Intelligence to ensure proper waste sorting
• Increasing the number of central waste sorting stations with improved signage 
• Reducing single-use plastics
• Working with partners to supply goods with reduced packaging

 Learn more about our progress with reducing waste in our Annual and Sustainability Report.

As part of our commitment to waste reduction, we partnered with ChopValue to recycle one million chopsticks from our food courts, the equivalent of nine tonnes of diverted waste. Take a closer look by watching the video below.