05 Apr Recycling Has Never Been Easier

This Earth Day, many of you are looking to strengthen what you can do to protect and preserve this planet. Here at Island Return It, we are proud to be a great resource for those of you looking to dramatically lessen what you put in your garbage. We have been around since 1995, and have regularly added to our roster of what we take back to be recycled and repurposed. That’s a bonus for those of you living on Vancouver Island. It will feel good to be utilizing the programs that are doing good work to responsibly recycle and reuse raw materials, that would otherwise end up in the landfill and our oceans. It’s worth mentioning that all items (bottles, cans, batteries, lightbulbs and ink cartridges, etc) can be returned at no cost, which isn’t always the case in other communities; and you get paid to recycle bottles, aluminum cans and drink carton containers. Doing your part for the planet has never been easier.
With a bit of planning, you can set up a robust recycling system to organize and pre-count your refundables and sort your recycling, so drop off is swift and easy. We have Bag Buddy racks and plastic bags available for sale, which can help you set up a permanent system in your home or work place.
Here are a few more helpful sorting tips:
- Separate bottles from aluminium cans at home, and store cans in clear bags. Alcohol and non alcohol cans will need to be sorted separately.
- Pre-count at home, as it will reduce time at the depot.
- Have a sticker or clipboard handy to jot down how many items are being adding to each bag, so there is no need for recounting on delivery day. Please count accurately. Thank you:)
- No liquids inside containers please (and leave the lids on).
- For safety reasons, glass should be delivered in sturdy boxes or bins rather than in plastic bags.
- Soft and crinkle plastic can now be sorted together.
- Don’t forget to bring broken electronics, small appliances and light bulbs when visiting. Explore our full list of items we take back here.
Thank you for recycling. The planet thanks you too.
Island Return It is Hiring: Get paid to recycle!
Family owned and operated, we have a lively and growing team, with a few staff having been with us since the beginning. If you are looking for work that is fast paced, interactive and enjoy being a part of the recycling solution, we are looking for good people now. Go to About Us/Employment for full details.


New Location Update:
In other news, Our Island Return It depot on Salt Spring Island has just recently reopened at our new, more central location, at 251 Fulford Ganges Rd, with more parking to serve you better. This Ganges location only takes back ready to drink cans and bottles, including milk and milk substitute containers. Open Tues-Sat 9:30 to 4:30pm.