'Double what you make': Binners pleased with bottle deposit hike

The industry that creates beverages sold in single-use plastic and glass bottles says it's going to increase what it charges consumers to keep those containers out of landfills and oceans.

Starting Nov. 1, Encorp Pacific the industry-owned, not-for-profit organization that recycles single-use plastic and glass bottles and containers will double itsdeposit value for bottles up to onelitre in sizebought at B.C. grocerystores. The deposit will increase to 10 cents per bottle from five cents.

"Raising the deposit value will provide additional incentive for consumers to return their beverage containers," said Allen Langdon, president andCEO of the organization better known as Return-It.

Consumers will still be able toredeem their full 10-cent deposit refund on these containers at Return-It depots and retail locations provincewide, according to a news release.

The organization says the move will affect the price of about 80 per cent ofall ready-to-drink beverages such assoft drinks, juice, water, energy and sport drinks in bottles and containers that are up to and including onelitre in size.

The deposit rate increase will not apply to alcoholic beverage containers.

Watch how the deposit increase will benefit people making their living collecting cans and bottles:

Container deposits going up in B.C.

5 years ago

Duration 1:00

Starting Nov. 1 in B.C., deposits on non-alcoholic drink containers under a litre in volume are doubling from 5 cents to 10 cents, meaning a big raise for people who earn a living collecting cans and bottles.

Return-Itsays it hopes the bump in deposit value will encourage more British Columbians to recycleeligible plastic products.

Dwayne Flohr is a member oftheBinners' Project, which is made up of people who pick through waste to collect redeemable containers and other items.

"I wish it was November 1already," said Flohr, who planned to tell his fellow binners about the depositincrease at a Thursday meeting.

"Means a lot more money. Means you double pretty much what you make.I had a whole load of pop cans today andmade $14. That would have been 28 bucks. So that's you know, it's gonna beawesome."

Province mulls unified rate

In September, the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy launched a consultation on developing its Clean B.C. Plastics Action Plan.

As part of this consultation process, the government said it isconsidering a unified deposit rate of 10 cents on all beverage containers to increase recovery and reduce consumer and retailer confusion.

Return-It is owned by beveragecompaniesin British Columbia. It's anot-for-profit, product stewardship agency, with beverage container management as its core business.

It recycles approximately1 billion beverage containers a yearin B.C. and Alberta, which are used to make new plastic bottles.