Our Story

Stan Kaminski, otherwise known as “Happy Stan,” started his journey in recycling by collecting newspapers from local hotels to raise money for the Gibsons boys club. After getting married and having three children, two of his children, Jamie and Chris, continued the family’s recycling tradition, collecting newspapers to raise money.

At his janitorial business, All Canadian Janitorial, Stan sold all the paper and cardboard from the companies he cleaned to local recycling companies. After selling the business to his partner, he launched All Canadian Recycling Services in 1988 with a different partner, servicing print shops and real estate offices across the Lower Mainland with a single one-ton cube truck. Taking on larger contracts such as Island Paper Mills and BC Rail, Stan’s workforce also increased, including his (now adult) sons.

Launching Happy Stan’s Recycling (HSR) Services Ltd., Stan's business was—and still is—the recycling of cardboard and cardboard tubes. In 2003, he accepted a contract from the city of Port Coquitlam to process the residential recycling from their blue bag program, which was later replaced by the single stream co-mingled process.

As General Manager, world-renowned industry expert Jamie Kaminski shifted HSR Services’ focus from a materials-oriented business to a service-oriented company, providing information and recycling solutions to businesses and households across the Lower Mainland. Since our humble beginnings, we’ve increased our material acceptance from cardboard and paper to over 40 different commodities. HSR Zero Waste also empowers organizations to earn Zero Waste Canada, LEED, BOMA, TRUE, and Green Marine Certifications.

Together, Stan, Jamie, and our team of dedicated employees and colleagues work hard to create a one-stop solution for diversion rate recycling for businesses and homes across British Columbia.