Why We Give: Sam Baker and Recycle BC

What happens to your recycling?

It’s a question worth considering, as we dutifully rinse yogurt pots and haul our blue boxes outside each week. The truth is, curbside recycling is a logistical miracle many of us take for granted.

Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling throughout British Columbia. Last year, the organization collaborated with our team to launch a new exhibit here at Science World.

The interactive exhibit has proven popular with children and adults alike, as visitors ‘sort’ recyclables from non-recyclables in a highly-engaging digital environment. Designed to educate and empower, the exhibit features games, facts, videos, and information about the recycling process, including taking participants on the full journey of plastics from blue box to new products.

Behind the scenes

“This exhibit is about showing people exactly what happens to the plastic packaging they put into their recycling bins — and why it matters,” says Sam Baker, Executive Director of Recycle BC. “By demystifying the recycling process, we’re helping residents see the difference their actions make and what the items they recycle can ultimately become."

“But, this system only works when everyone takes part. Whether recycling at home or bringing materials to a depot, resident participation is what keeps these materials in circulation and ensures they’re transformed into something new.”

Inspiring the next generation

“A friend of my five-year-old daughter came up to me this summer and was excited to tell me about visiting the Recycle BC exhibit. It’s great to see and hear the impact we are having.”

Indeed, on any day when one walks past the eye-catching exhibit there are plenty of excited families learning more about the recycling process.

“Children are naturally curious,” continues Sam, “And when we can engage that curiosity and really empower them to understand what happens, and in this case, what happens to this material after they put it in their recycling bins at home, or take it to a depot, then they can ask bigger questions around how the system can improve."

"So they bring this home to their families, help start conversations, influence other family members. And then ultimately, in the future, they become future designers, engineers, scientists, business leaders, policy makers, who'll shape how products and recycling systems work.”

This idea of experiential learning is the heart of everything we do here at Science World. We believe the future is nerdy and the best way to get there is by expanding education. Through initiatives such as this partnership with Recycle BC, visitors to the dome can deepen their understanding of the world around them, and reimagine their own role in shaping the future.

Recycling facts or fiction?

No conversation around recycling would be complete without addressing misconceptions, so we invited Sam to bust a few myths for us:

“Myth one, ‘it all gets shipped overseas anyway,’” begins Sam with a smile on his face. “No! Plastics, which is maybe the one that people think the most of as going overseas, in fact, over 99% of that stays here in Metro Vancouver."

“Myth two, ‘no one actually recycles.’ In fact, in 2025, we collected more than 210,000 tonnes of residential paper and packaging. So that's equivalent to what we calculated as about 50,000 [female] orca whales, which is quite a few. We achieved a 78.5% recovery rate. That means of what was supplied in the marketplace, we collected 78.5% of that.”

And finally, myth three, “‘It's all just burned.’ Also false. Of the 210,000 tons that we collected, just over 206,000 tonnes were sent for recycling. Zero tonnes were managed by waste-to-energy, engineered fuel, or incineration.”

Of course, recycling is just one tactic in what should be a multi-pronged approach to sustainability. Science World is committed to regeneration and, through fun, science-based education, we are inspiring families to reduce, reuse, and recycle.