With the closure of numerous Beer Stores in Ontario, organizations that depend on bottle returns are looking to benefit from the public’s empty containers. The Beer Store processes approximately 1.6 billion empty alcohol containers annually but has closed multiple locations in the province due to beer being available in convenience stores, with more closures planned for September.
Several closures, including in Ottawa, are affecting charities like Operation Come Home, which conducts bottle drives through its BottleWorks social enterprise. The Executive Director, John Heckbert, anticipates an increase in residents utilizing BottleWorks for their empty bottle collections, providing employment opportunities for youth involved in the program.
Operation Come Home, which supports homeless youth through various programs, operates the BottleWorks initiative where residents in Ottawa can schedule a collection date for their empty containers and receive a tax receipt in return. Plans to expand the program with two new trucks are in place to accommodate the potential increase in collections.
Additionally, animal rescues rely on bottle and can collections for fundraising purposes. Organizations like Empties for Paws Orleans and Barrhaven & Area Empties are hopeful that the closures of Beer Stores will lead to more donations, as people may prefer donating their empties rather than traveling further for returns.
Waste Watch Ottawa’s Duncan Bury expressed concerns over the declining container collection system in Ontario compared to other provinces. He emphasized the need for improvements in the collection system, suggesting that grocery stores selling alcohol should accept empties for recycling, similar to successful systems in British Columbia and Quebec.
Bury also urged the province to consider establishing standalone bottle return depots and enforce compliance among grocery stores. Heckbert from BottleWorks suggested that their program could assist businesses by managing their empty container returns, potentially alleviating space and inventory issues for stores participating in bottle collection initiatives.