Are you looking for new ways to raise funds for your non-profit organization? Have you done bottle drives in the past but new restrictions have made them less fruitful?

 

If so, we’re here to help! Check out these tips below for collecting recyclable drink containers for your bottle drive:

 

Connect with your Local Bottle Depot

 

The team at your local bottle depot is experienced in helping organizations to plan their bottle drives, and in how to take it online when necessary. We will help plan and schedule your drive and share info on container & return types. We provide pick-up services in a central area or tips to drive people to your online bottle drive.

 

You can run your bottle drive as one big push in a single day or set a deadline to build up to.

 

Map Your Success

There are different ways to collect recyclables for your bottle drive. If collecting door to door, you can map out your route and designate them to teams ahead of time. Or you can ask people to simply drop off beverage container donations over a defined time window.

 

If you have chosen an online bottle drive, you can simply share the information on how to support your organization specifically through flyers, social media and other online locations. Here are some other ways you can spread the news that your organization is hosting a
physical or online bottle drive:

 

●     Consult your municipality on placing temporary signs along well-travelled roadways

●      Send an announcement to your local radio station

●      Let the neighbourhood know ahead of time of your bottle drive using the free promotional tools provided by Alberta Depots including door hangers (with specific collection times and dates)

 

 

TIP 1: Don’t forget to get bags or bins that may be needed for the drive. Our bottle depot has tools like bags, bag stands, trailers and bins available to assist with your efforts.

 

TIP 2: Set up a central collection point in an outdoor area with high foot traffic such as a parking lot. You can also collect containers around where your office is located if you have one.

 

Cash In on Your Efforts

 

Our north east bottle depot will sort and count your containers, calculate the refund and provide a printed receipt. Feel free to pre-sort and count containers for a faster return through separating containers by size (smaller-than and up-to 1L and larger than 1L) and by
material type (glass, metal, plastic, juice boxes, etc.). Leave tabs and labels on all of your containers. Flatten milk containers and jugs but do not crush cans and plastic bottles.

 

Did you know that there are grants for recycling infrastructure?

 

The Community Champions Program (CPP) is a grant program specially designed for not-for-profit organizations in Alberta. This
program provides funding for specialized recycling bins, start-up support and more ensuring convenient out-of-home opportunities for recycling. This is a great way to have an ongoing bottle drive for your organization!

 

Use these tips to collect recyclable drink containers for your next bottle drive!