The Bottle Depot in Keremeos is providing a win - win situation for Kermeos residents and students from Similkameen Elementary Secondary School.
Students have been offering the recycling service in the community for several years now. They provide a drop off site for recyclable cans and bottles in the village in return for half of the recyclable container’s deposit value.
Residents don’t need to haul their empties back to Penticton or Princeton, and the students are given the opportunity to get some useful job training as well as funding for school activities.
“Sports teams can help run the depot in order to raise money for team travel or costs,” explained school secretary Kaylynne Beauchamp. She said the funds can be used for all school activities, in addition to helping provide for students in need.
“It’s really been a big help to the kids,” she said, “and there really are no bounds to what it can be used for. A student who lost a book recently worked the depot to earn the cost of a replacement.” Beauchamp said the depot is staffed by between two and four students, sometimes more if a school team is working towards some funding.
The depot accepts all Canadian - purchased beverage containers with a bar code. They cannot accept containers purchased in the U.S., milk or soup containers, fruit and condiment jars / containers or wine bottles without a bar code. The use of clear plastic bags to haul recyclables is also appreciated.
Students man the centre Monday to Friday, 10 to 11 a.m. and on Saturday, nine to 12. The depot is closed on school holidays.