Lobby provincially for increased bottle/can deposit values
Curbside drink container recycling is great, but the recycling rate for these things in BC is still only about 70%. This is a waste of resources. Other provinces (PEI for example) have kept pace better with inflation by charging more than our paltry 5-10 cents deposit per container, and not just by coincidence have higher recycling rates.
Side benefit: less garbage/broken glass in public places.
Caution: those who depend upon deposits for their livelihood (e.g. "binners") might experience new hardship as more people recycle, but this would be somewhat offset by higher returns per container found.
Erik
shared this idea
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Janna L. Sylvest
commented
In addition to increasing the deposit value, the program should be expanded to MORE products. For example, BRANDED TAKE AWAY cups and containers should carry a deposit. Starbucks and Tim Hortons use the fact people take away their one-time-use containers and throw them on the ground as a mobile marketing tool. If a container has a brand mark of any kind, it should have to carry a 25 cent deposit on it. At least the cups would make it back into the recycling stream and why in the world shouldn't these branded litter-in-the-making wasteful practices pay for their social cost!