Maybe we should just recycle our smartphones

Do we need another waste-related app on our smartphones? Judging by the amount of pop cans and batteries you see tossed in trash bins on the street, the answer is yes.

The latest entrant to this space is B.C. Recyclepedia, a free iPhone and Android app developed by the Recycling Council of British Columbia, in partnership with the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation.

B.C. Recyclepedia is super simple to use. You pick the category of item you want to recycle, and the app comes back with a list of up to 10 nearby depots.

For instance, when I picked “Hazardous Items” and then the subcategory “Explosives and Flares”, the app directed me to the nearest police station. Okay, it didn’t actually have address info for the nearest cop shop, instead listing the address as “varies”.

Looking up depots under “Beverage Containers” and then “Milk/Soy/Rice Containers” proved more successful, serving up maps and directions.

Other categories of recyclables covered by the app include flammable liquids, medication, oils, paper, and plastics (what to do with a Plastic Identification Code 7 product?).

Volunteers designed this app. Colin Smith worked on the iPhone version and Cameron Gandevia did the Android one.

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