As a child, collecting bottles in a bin in the garage was fun! We would carefully sort and load the bottles and cans and drop them off at the small town depot, swarming with wasps in the summer heat. The proceeds meant a trip to the candy aisle at the Bigway corner store, or maybe even a small toy to carry home.
I never once wondered if the cash prize was the right refund. Are consumers getting short changed?
An Edmonton father contacted me with a story. He and his daughter like to collect their bottles and cans and take them to the depot together. However, they always count them before they go. When the difference at the cash register was small, the father didn’t think much of it.
But lately he noticed the gap is widening. He says he gave the worker 4 bags, containing a total of 600 bottles. Staff credited him for only 495. He took it up with the assistant manager and says his call was not returned. When he did reach the manager, he was told nothing would be done, and staff were satisfied that no mistake was made.
The family has since changed bottle depots. They say it’s not the money, but the principle.
If you are concerned, ensure you count them beforehand and write down the totals in detail. Take any concerns up with management and the
ALBERTA BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING CORPORATION (ABCRC) 403-264-0170
Aluminum cans – deposit = 10 cents
Plastic containers – up to 1 litre = 10 cents
– more than 1 litter = 25 cents
Glass containers – up to 1 litre = 10 cents
– more than 1 litre = 25 cents
Gable top containers (cartons) – up to 1 litre = 10 cents
– more than 1 litre = 25 cents
If lugging them to the depot isn’t for you, there are other options. I donate my bottles and cans to the Scouts when they knock on my door for their fundraising drive twice a year!
Happy Collecting!
Julie Matthews, Global Edmonton Troubleshooter
On twitter @GlobalTshooter
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