Marine debris collection depot opens on northern Vancouver Island

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The Ocean Plastic Depot.

A collection depot has opened on northern Vancouver Island aiming to keep plastic out of the ocean and landfills.

Spearheaded by the Ocean Legacy Foundation and the Mount Waddington Regional District, the new depot, located at the 7 Mile Landfill between the Port Mcneill and Port Alice Junction, aims to reduce pollution in our waters and protect marine environments.

The facility was funded by the Ghost Gear Fund and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

“The awesome thing about this is any industry, any marine industry, or shoreline cleanup, or just a simple volunteer can bring in the marine debris that they’ve collected to these ocean depots to divert it from going into landfill,” says Ashley Tapp, the 7  Mile Depot Coordinator.

The depot will take in just about anything that’s found along our shoreline.

“From oyster baskets to floats, to hard plastic buoys, rope and netting, styrofoam, anything that is from aquaculture sites, the commercial fishing industry, and even the forestry industry is collected,” adds Tapp.

Once it arrives at the depot, the debris is sent to Ocean Legacy’s processing centre in Richmond where it is further sorted, cleaned, and recycled.

It’s the fourth of its kind in the region, with others found in Ucluelet, Cumberland, and Powell River.

The facilities are part of the foundation’s national strategy to address plastic pollution, a plan that looks at end-of-life solutions for marine plastic while promoting a plastic circular economy.

To register to use one of the depots, you can head to www.oceanplasticdepot.ca.

RELATED: Ocean plastic recycling centre opens in Cumberland, collecting discarded fishing gear and marine debris

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