In February, a test project dubbed Blue +2 was launched to find out if residents would participate in a recycling program for polystyrene foam products and polyfilm bags. The "Blue" represented the blue box for recyclables and "+2" indicated two blue bags; one for foam and one for polyfilm.

About 800 homes in the City of Langley were provided with instructions and a supply of bags for use throughout the test period. The project lasted 13 weeks and during this time; it became very clear the residents were more than willing to take the extra steps necessary to get the foam and polyfilm products to the curb for pick up rather than sending them to landfill.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), Emterra Environmental, Layfield Flexible Packaging, WRalston (Canada) Inc., and CKF Inc., have issued a public "thank you" to the residents who participated in the test and to Mayor Peter Fassbender and Langley City council for their support with this project.

The results gave CKF valuable information to use to find effective methods of collecting the two products, which have high value as recyclables but have been difficult to manage in the waste stream.

Each resident in the test area was entered in a draw to win $100 to thank them for their participation.

The winners, Laurel Archer and Evan Brett, were presented with their cheques by Craig Foster of CPIA and Rick Everest, plant manager at CKF, at the CKF plant in Langley.

CPIA will publish a report on the results of the test in the near future at www.cpia.ca.