A community organization is raising money by turning bottles into possible cash.
The Yellowknife Association for Community Living (YKACL) has partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for a pilot project which will benefit the environment.
The project is aiming to promote community recycling. Once a resident comes across $25 worth of bottles or cans they can turn them into the Bottle Shop Recycling Depot on Old Airport Road.
Immediately after the donation is made a bar code will be placed on the bag of recyclables being donated. The YKACL will then be notified by the bottle depot that the donation has been accepted and the group will then give a charitable tax receipt to the person who donated the recyclables.
Tax receipts will be given out quarterly, said YKACL communications and administrative officer, Daron Letts.
“People want their money to go to the people who use our service,” said Letts. “The reason we are waiting until donations reach $25 dollars is because with that amount we can do more to help out clients.”
Organizations are starting to get involved as the 26th annual Gumboot Rally on May 5 gets closer, said Letts.
“This is the time when we usually see a lot of fundraising happen for the Gumboot Rally,” said Letts. “In this last month before the festival we usually see donations bloom ... 100 per cent of profits from the bottle deposit will go toward the event.”
Michael Hugall/NNSL photo
100.1FM morning show host Cameron Webb shows off the station's bottle collection at The Moose building on Thursday. Once they receive $25 dollars worth of bottles they will bring them to the Bottle Shop Depot, said Webb.
(April 12, 2018)
Radio station 100.1 Moose FM in Yellowknife is taking part in the bottle deposit campaign. They are canvasing the community for any recycled cans or bottles, said program director Cameron Webb.
“This community doesn't happen unless you're involved in it,” said Webb. “In order to get as many donations as possible we are going door-to-door to pick up bottles.”
Webb said every bottle in the community counts.
“When I was growing up you either had a bake sale or a bottle drive to raise money...and I was never a baker,” said Webb.
After the Gumboot Rally the YKACL will accept donations from the bottle depot with all donations going toward the organization, said Letts.
Environment and Natural Resources has developed a bottle drop-off computer software which will allow the YKACL and other organizations to keep track of how much they are recycling, said program coordinator Patrick Hough.
“We like to assist any organization who is encouraging people to recycle,” he said. “Our software has been set up in cities across the territory and this summer it will be spreading to Inuvik.”
Hough added partnering with the YKACL for their pilot project was a “win-win.”
“They will be making money off of the program and we will continue to raise awareness about recycling in the territory,” said Hough. “We are always going to encourage residents to recycle.