The Sidney Bottle Depot on Galaran Road will soon have more room to breathe as an expansion effort by the business is slated to be complete by mid-month.
The expansion will offer customers a larger inside sorting space and more parking stalls, said Sophy Roberge, Island Return-It public relations manager.
“We’ll have more space and more parking by mid-November,” she said.
The Sidney Bottle Depot also recently introduced a new program called LightRecycle at the beginning of October. They are now a certified drop-off point for the recycling of old or broken residential lighting fixtures.
The Sidney Bottle Depot is also a certified drop off location for the recycling of small appliances and electronic toys.
“For electronics nothing gets shipped overseas, (all the dismantling) is all done in B.C.,” Roberge said, adding that the metals, precious metals and parts from old electronics are shipped to various places in North America and Europe to be reclaimed.
“In fact, the Olympic medals from 2010 were part of our electronics program,” she said.
Roberge said the amount of recycling coming into Return-It centres like the Sidney Bottle Depot is increasing each year, and she encourages Peninsula residents to use the Sidney Bottle Depot as a one stop recycling facility.
“If you recycle with Return-It you get your refundable back and it’s a one stop recycling centre,” she said. “You can bring your cans, bottles, electronics, old paint, light fixtures, everything, and it doesn’t cost you anything. In fact, we pay you,” she laughed.
For a full list of items accepted at the Sidney Bottle Depot visit islandreturnit.com or call 250-655-4878. For more information on the LightRecycle program visit lightrecycle.ca.
LightRecycle
A province-wide program introduced last month is making an effort to reduce the number of lighting-related products that go into the landfill.
LightRecycle is exclusively for lights, lamps, ballasts and fixtures much like the small appliance program that was introduced province-wide by the Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association earlier this year.
“The purpose of the program is keeping these lighting fixtures and products out of the landfill,” explained Jordan Best, program co-ordinator for LightRecycle. “Not all, but some of the products, especially florescent tubing, can contain toxic materials and the goal is to keep those materials out of the landfill and to recover the materials that can be recycled.”
The LightRecycle program has been in place since 2010 said Best, but was limited to residential quantities of lights and light fixtures and didn’t have as many drop off locations.
As of Oct. 1, The expanded program encompasses both residential and commercial drop off of fixtures and light products and all types of light bulbs. Residential-use lighting fixtures like floor lamps, chandeliers, table lamps, ceiling lights, flashlights and Christmas lights can be dropped off at residential recycling facilities and items like street lights and large outdoor flood lights can be recycled by large volume collection facilities.
For more information on the LightRecycle program or to find drop off points beyond the Saanich Peninsula, visit lightrecycle.ca.
LightRecycle locations on the Saanich Peninsula:
Light fixtures:
• Sidney Bottle Depot,
10025 Galaran Rd.
• Brentwood Thrift Store,
7177 West Saanich Rd.
Lightbulbs:
• Central Saanich Home Hardware, #2 7816 East Saanich Rd., Saanichton