ENVIRONMENT – Monthly pop-up events planned for flexible plastics

The City of Kamloops will hold monthly flexible plastics recycling pop-up events on the third Sunday of each month during 2026. The events will take place 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at different parking lots around the city.

Participants will receive a free reusable pink tote bag when they drop off their flexible plastics at a pop-up event.

Flexible plastics include plastic bags, plastic overwrap on flats of beverages or paper towel rolls, crinkly wrappers (e.g. pasta, chips, candy), cereal box liners, cheese wrappers, coffee bags, zipper lock or stand-up pouches (e.g. dried fruit, nuts, frozen foods), woven and net plastic bags, and protective and squishy cushion packaging.

Flexible plastics are only accepted for recycling at specified depots and pop-up events. They are not accepted in curbside recycling carts because, when placed alongside other materials, flexible plastics behave like paper during the sorting process and end up contaminating the sorted paper, the City says.

When taken to a depot or dropped off at a pop-up event, flexible plastics are recycled into new plastics. The materials are sent to Merlin Plastics in Metro Vancouver, where they are processed and sold to plastics manufacturers and producers.

Currently, depot locations in Kamloops that accept flexible plastics are the Columbia Bottle Depot (963 Camosun Crescent), the Lorne Street Bottle Depot (270 Halston Avenue), and London Drugs (450 Landsdowne Street).

According to the City, the pop-up locations were selected to complement the depots to help provide accessible, convenient opportunities for all residents to drop off flexible plastics for recycling. The following is the full list of 2026 pop-up events:

• Sunday, January 25, Valleyview Arena, 353 Highland Road
• Sunday, February 22, Westsyde Centennial Park, 705 Franklin Road
• Sunday, March 29, Brocklehurst Arena, 2470 Fleetwood Avenue
• Sunday, April 26, Yacht Club, 1140 River Street
• Sunday, May 31, Albert McGowan Park, 2025 Summit Drive
• Sunday, June 28, Valleyview Arena, 353 Highland Road
• Sunday, July 26, Westsyde Centennial Park, 705 Franklin Road
• Sunday, August 30, Brocklehurst Arena, 2470 Fleetwood Avenue
• Sunday, September 27, Westsyde Centennial Park, 705 Franklin Road
• Sunday, November 1*, McArthur Island, 1655 Island Parkway
• Sunday, November 29, Valleyview Arena, 353 Highland Road
• Sunday, December 27, Bunker Road Recycling Depot, 1510 Bunker Road

*The November event was intentionally moved from the third Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November to happen alongside the annual Pumpkin Smash event at McArthur Island. Flexible plastics recyclers will be encouraged to include their Halloween candy wrappers.

Kamloops.ca/RecyclingPopUp