Recycling Council of British Columbia

What Recycling Council of British Columbia does

The Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Vancouver, BC, that operates as BC's primary public information clearinghouse on residential recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, and circular economy practices. The organization serves BC residents, businesses, governments, and non-profits through a portfolio centered on three core information services: the Recycling Hotline (a multi-channel live support line staffed by Environmental Advisors since 1990), the online Recyclepedia search tool, and the BC Recyclepedia mobile application (iOS and Android, with Google Maps integration). The underlying technology is a curated relational database of 4,000+ listings across 120+ product and service categories, which has been continuously maintained for over 30 years and supports approximately 200,000 public inquiries annually.

RCBC's business model is a hybrid of membership subscriptions, donations, project-based grants, and institutional sponsorships. Membership fees are tiered by organization type (e.g., $125/year for small businesses, with separate tiers for governments, non-profits, and individuals) and renew annually. Revenue is supplemented by sponsorships from the BC government, regional districts, and product stewardship agencies (Recycle BC, Return-It, Tire Stewardship BC, etc.), grants (e.g., $25,000 from Vancity enviroFund in 2023), and donations processed through CanadaHelps. The organization monetizes its mission through engagement programming rather than direct service fees — including the annual Circular Economy Conference, the RCBC Circular Economy Awards, a Speaker & Discussion Series, and the October Circular Economy Month campaign.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with designated seats for government, business, non-profit, and individual representatives, and maintains strategic alliances with the Canada Plastics Pact, the National Zero Waste Council, Metro Vancouver, and BC's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Its distribution is exclusively province-wide within British Columbia, and the technology stack is functional rather than cutting-edge — no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary algorithms, or third-party platform integrations beyond Google Maps are disclosed. Headcount is small (1-10 employees, described internally as a "small but mighty staff team").

Name

Recycling Council of British Columbia

Legal name

Recycling Council of British Columbia

Website

https://rcbc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Recycling Council of British Columbia is a Vancouver-based non-profit founded in 1974 that provides BC residents, businesses, and governments with recycling and circular economy information through its Recycling Hotline, Recyclepedia database (4,000+ listings), and mobile app, handling 200,000+ inquiries annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from $125/year for small businesses, with various tiers for government organizations, non-profits, and individual members
2. Donations: 100% of donations go directly to RCBC operations. Donations can be made through CanadaHelps platform.
3. Grants: Grants from organizations such as Vancity enviroFund ($25,000 in 2023 for Circular BC project)
4. Sponsorships: Sponsorships from BC government, regional districts, and product stewardship agencies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RCBC is a non-profit organization that provides province-wide recycling information services to British Columbia residents, businesses, and governments through its Recycling Hotline and Recyclepedia search tools. The organization answers questions on local residential recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, share/reuse/repair options, and safe disposal regulations. It also runs educational campaigns, conferences, awards, and a membership program to advance zero waste and circular economy practices across BC.

Product overview

RCBC offers a unified portfolio of public information services centered on recycling and circular economy education for British Columbia. The core offerings include the Recyclepedia (both online and mobile app versions) and the Recycling Hotline, which together provide province-wide access to recycling information for over 70 materials across 1,000+ locations. Supporting these core services are educational resources including RCBC Guides and Circular Economy Publications, event programming through the annual RCBC Circular Economy Conference and Speaker & Discussion Series, the annual RCBC Circular Economy Awards, and a Membership Program. The organization also runs Circular Economy Month each October. All services work together to advance waste reduction, recycling, and circular economy adoption across BC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recyclepedia Online Search Tool An online searchable database and directory tool that helps BC residents, businesses, and governments find drop-off locations for over 70 materials and products across British Columbia. Features location-based search and Google Maps integration with 4,000+ listings across 120+ product and service categories.
• BC Recyclepedia Mobile App Free mobile application available for iOS and Android that helps users find over 1,000 drop-off locations and recycling options, providing the 10 nearest locations based on phone GPS with Google Maps and driving directions.
• Recycling Hotline Free, province-wide live information service that answers questions about recycling, pollution prevention, waste avoidance, and safe disposal options. Available by phone, toll-free line, email, live chat, and text, staffed by Environmental Advisors answering 80,000+ inquiries annually.
• RCBC Membership Program
• RCBC Circular Economy Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ inquiries answered annually through Information Services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canada Plastics PactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCBC is a partner in the Canada Plastics Pact, a unique multi-stakeholder, industry-led, cross-value chain collaboration platform that aims to tackle plastic packaging waste and pollution. CPP brings together businesses, government, NGOs and key actors in the local plastics value chain to create a circular economy where plastic waste is kept out of the environment. RCBC participates in this initiative focused on elimination of problematic plastics, 100% recyclable/compostable design, 50% effective recycling rate, and 30% recycled content targets.
• National Zero Waste CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCBC participates as a member of the National Zero Waste Council Management Board, contributing to the Council's strategic development, business planning and operations. The NZWC is a leadership initiative of Metro Vancouver that brings together organizations to advance waste prevention and the circular economy in Canada. Through Executive Director Lyndsay Poaps, RCBC holds an elected seat on the management board for the 2021/2023 term, focusing on moving up the waste hierarchy and pursuing reuse options for BC.
• Metro VancouvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCBC collaborates with Metro Vancouver on the Solid Waste Management Plan, participating in working groups and initiatives related to waste management and circular economy in the Metro Vancouver region.
• BC GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBC government is a sponsor of RCBC and collaborates on policies including BC's Provincial Recycling Regulation and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Policy. BC's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy supports RCBC's work.
• Regional Districts (BC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional districts across BC are sponsors of RCBC and work collaboratively on solid waste management plans and recycling programs. Regional districts develop and submit Solid Waste Management Plans as required by the Province.
• Product Stewardship AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct stewardship agencies including Recycle BC, Return-It, Tire Stewardship BC, Interchange Recycling, Product Care, Call2Recycle, and others are sponsors and partners. These organizations operate province-wide EPR programs for various materials including packaging, electronics, tires, paint, batteries, and more.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Zero Waste Council: A Metro Vancouver-led Canadian leadership initiative advancing waste prevention and the circular economy. RCBC's Executive Director holds a management board seat, and the two organizations share overlapping mandates on reuse and waste-hierarchy policy in BC and nationally.
• Recycling Council of Ontario: Ontario's provincial recycling council providing public education, resources, and information services on recycling and waste reduction. A direct functional peer to RCBC operating the same council model in a different province.
• Recycling Council of Alberta: Alberta's provincial recycling council delivering recycling information, education, and advocacy. Same council-of-province model and public-information service orientation as RCBC.
• Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council: Saskatchewan's non-profit promoting waste reduction and recycling through education and information services. Directly comparable provincial peer to RCBC's mission and structure.

Broad incumbents

• Recycle BC: The producer-funded stewardship agency responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling in BC. A RCBC sponsor that competes indirectly by operating its own consumer-facing recycling tools and education content.
• Return-It: BC's beverage container stewardship agency operating its own depot network and consumer education. Comparable as a stewardship sponsor that also provides public recycling information and depot locations, partially overlapping with RCBC's Recyclepedia content.
• David Suzuki Foundation: Major Canadian environmental non-profit advocating on climate, sustainability, and waste issues. Comparable as a high-profile Canadian environmental advocacy organization with overlapping circular-economy and sustainability messaging.

Regional players

• Call2Recycle Canada: Stewardship organization managing battery and cellphone recycling programs in Canada. A RCBC sponsor providing category-specific recycling infrastructure and information, parallel to RCBC's broader directory.

Emerging players

• Environmental Defence Canada: Canadian environmental advocacy non-profit working on plastic waste, EPR, and circular economy policy. Comparable as a non-profit advocacy organization tackling overlapping waste-policy issues but with a broader environmental mandate.
• Smart Prosperity Institute: Canadian cleantech and sustainability think tank focused on circular economy and resource productivity policy. Comparable as a non-profit advancing circular-economy thought leadership and policy engagement in Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recycling-council-of-british-columbia
• Instagraminstagram.com/recyclingcouncilofbc
• Xx.com/recyclingbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/RecyclingBC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recycling Council of British Columbia