Return-It president and CEO,Cindy Coutts was in Maple Ridge on Monday to announce the installation of 15 new dedicated beverage container recycling bins across the city.
That will bring the total to 46 of the recycling bins located in Maple Ridge parks, at schools, at sports venues and near local lakes.
“This is super important, because convenience is the key to encouraging recycling of beverage containers,” said Coutts.
“As we approach Earth Day, we celebrate the commitment Maple Ridge has made by installing even more on-the-go recycling bins, and encourage other municipalities to take similar action in order to keep British Columbia Green,” added Coutts.
She and Mayor Dan Ruimy met at the Albion Community Centre, where a new bin has been installed, and they highlighted the initiative.
Coutts noted that Encorp Pacific pays for the bins, as a not-for-profit corporation tasked with beverage container management in B.C. The deposit refunds from collected containers can be used to support local charities, schools and other groups.
Ruimy said these efforts build on the work the the city is doing with its recent Climate Action Summit, and the Mayor’s Task Force on Climate Change.
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“It’s small things that add up,” said Ruimy.
“We’re making Maple Ridge more climate resilient.”
Coutts noted that B.C. recycles about 1.3 billion beverage containers every year, and has a return rate of about 77 per cent.
“We’re not stopping there – we want to get up into the 80s,” she said.
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