New bins at Spruce Grove parks and schools make it easy to recycle

Improving the face of recycling in the city’s public spaces

Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston (left) is joined by Jeff Linton from the Alberta Bottle Depot Association, and Diane Keller from the Spruce Grove Bottle Depot, to show off one of the 10 new recycling bins that have been placed around Spruce Grove. The bins make it easier for residents and visitors to recycle their bottles while out and about in the city.

By

August 15, 2011

The Spruce Grove Bottle Depot  worked with the City of Spruce Grove to improve the face of recycling in the city’s public spaces by applying grant monies to fund the placement of recycling bins in the City.

The Bottle Depot gave the City 10 permanent recycling bins to place around the community. The City will be responsible for maintaining these going forward. Eight of the bins will be located at community parks and two will be at City schools. The need for beverage recycling containers in public spaces was identified during the recently completed Mayor’s Task Force on the Environment and was recommended in the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan adopted in February 2011.

Mayor Houston recognizes the value of this initiative.

“This opportunity is a clear example of industry and municipalities working together to take concrete steps to reduce waste. Providing infrastructure such as this is a vital element towards achieving the City’s broader sustainable community goals.”

All types of beverage containers can be recycled in these bins including pop/juice cans, glass and plastic bottles, milk and juice jugs, and tetra paks. Visit the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC)  to learn more about what type of containers can be placed in the bins.

“We recognize the need to make recycling more convenient for people,” says Rod Kornberger, Spruce Grove Bottle Depot. “More beverages are being consumed in public places than ever before and we need to capture the empty containers before they find their way to into the garbage. The Recycling Infrastructure Program is an important part of the puzzle that needed improvement and the Depot Industry wanted to do our part in contributing to the success of this community’s efforts to recycle more.”

The beverage container recycling industry has a target to achieve an 85 per cent return rate for all empty beverage containers by the end of 2011. To achieve this target, $1 million was made available to extend beverage container recycling infrastructure into every community of Alberta. Depots have been empowered to become the lead "Community Champions" for their local community through grant funding for the recycling infrastructure.