Keep all empty beer or milk bottles you may have at home! You can get reimbursement at a bottle recycling depot in Calgary or elsewhere if you return empty drink bottles. Did you know that? Yes! You pay a deposit when you purchase something, like a beer bottle, contrary to what people believe. You can take the empty beer bottle to a Bottle Depot in Calgary or elsewhere when you’ve finished the beer, and you return the bottle there, and the deposit you paid is refunded.
What is the need to recycle cans?
It lowers waste and helps maintain our communities clean and sustainable. Numerous valuable objects are made from recycled containers. Additionally, it returns money to your pocket!
What containers are acceptable in a bottle depot?
- Only empty, already-bought beverage containers are accepted at Bottle Depots. You can take the product to a bottle depot in Calgary or elsewhere if you purchase it and drink from it.
- Containers for items like cooking oil, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, etc., are not accepted by Bottle Depots.
- They accept bottles like:
- Aluminum cans (both non-alcohol and alcohol)
o Leave the tabs on
- Plastic containers (such as water bottles, sports drinks, cups with attached foil lids, and milk (or plant-based beverage) jugs)
o Leave the labels and caps on
- Drink boxes or pouches(such as apple juice)
o Push the straws into the container, if applicable
- Gable tops (such as milk, plant-based beverage, or orange juice containers)
o Leave caps on
- Glass (alcohol and non-alcohol)
o Leave the labels and caps on
- Bi-Metals (such as some coconut water containers)
o Leave the labels on
- Bag-in-a-Box (such as wine or juice in a boxed bag)
o Leave the bag in the box
How much refund can I get back?
The size of the container alone, not the substance it is made of, determines the amount of the refund:
- 10 cents for containers of 1L or less;
- 25 cents for containers of more than 1L
How to prepare your bottles before going to a bottle depot?
Your visit will go more quickly and smoothly if you divide your containers into groups according to size and material. Sorting bottles into over 1 litre and under 1 litre categories is advised. Glass, aluminum, coloured and clear plastic, and Tetra and juice containers are among the materials that can be sorted. Some of the steps that you can take are as follows:
Remove caps, straws and residues
Before containers are returned to the return-it Depot in Calgary or elsewhere, caps, straws, and other trash must be taken out. Is It essential because:
- The strain from repeatedly removing hundreds of daily could endanger the staff’s health and safety.
- Containers are compressed during processing into enormous cubes known as bales. If lids are not removed, air accumulation inside containers may interfere with the baling process.
- Straws and caps are constructed of a different material than containers. Mixed plastic bales are of lesser market value and lower quality.
- Containers that are contaminated—waste, liquid, or debris—cannot be recycled. Always check that your containers are empty, mainly if they contain potential safety dangers like needles or sharp items.
Empty your containers
Rinse out your containers after emptying them of all remaining liquids. Non-rinsed containers may be rejected and cause various problems in bottle depots in Calgary or elsewhere.
Do not remove labels
To ensure that containers are included in the Beverage Container Recycling Program, bottle Depot operators and personnel must be able to recognize containers properly. This is why, whenever feasible, labels should be left on your containers.
Do not crush cans
Containers crushed or flattened are challenging to recognize and count, creating issues during processing. Additionally, since more of them can fit in bulk bags, those bags may become too heavy for the depot workers to lift correctly.
Beware of broken bottles
Broken glass bottles are not accepted and pose a risk to the workers who sort your recyclables in terms of health and safety.
Conclusion
Beverage containers not appropriately prepared for recycling shall not be accepted in return-it bottle depots in Calgary or elsewhere, including dirty, broken or crushed bottles. You should remember that not every type of empty bottle is accepted in a bottle depot. Moreover, our utmost duty is to promote recycling by giving in all empty bottles to a bottle recycling depot in Calgary or wherever you live to attain a sustainable future.