With 26 years in the same location, Willowbrook Recycling has had time to build strong relationships with their customers. Some people come every day. One family even drove all the way down from 100 Mile House because they loved the sorting service and kind staff at the bottle depot.
Now Willowbrook Recycling is undergoing a major renovation to improve efficiency, reliability and accessibility for customers. Here’s what’s happening this month:
- Store renovations Mar. 7 - 21: “We’re trying to stay open as much as we can throughout the renovations. We may have to close the interior at times, but the drive-through and Drop N’ Go will always be open,” says Savannah Paine from Willowbrook Recycling.
- Automated reverse vending machine: No sorting required! Just feed your containers into the machine, and collect your refund from the cash machine. “If you have any nonconformant bottles, just bring them to the counting station and we’ll give you a receipt for refund.” Willowbrook Recycling is a pioneer in this convenient technology — they’re the fourth depot in BC to bring in the TOMRA reverse vending machine out of nearly 200 depots across the province! Learn more at www.tomra.com.
The TOMRA reverse vending machine accepts most beverage containers, no sorting required! - Milk containers are now part of the deposit system: Any ready-to-drink milk and milk-substitute products with expiry dates after Feb. 1 are eligible for a 10 cent refund. Products that aren’t ready-to-drink, including creamo, coffee whitener, whipping cream and other products, are not eligible for a refund and should be recycled as usual. Learn more at www.return-it.ca/beverage/recycling/milk2022.
- Website upgrades and online bottle drive bookings: In addition to the depot renovations, Willowbrook Recycling is also updating their website. You’ll be able to reserve dates for bottle drive fundraisers and find other useful information, all in one place.
- Wayfinding paint for the drive-through: Willowbrook Recycling launched their drive-through sorting service in November, and Paine says they plan to paint lines on the pavement and put up signage to help customers navigate. “We understand it’s a bit challenging to figure out where to go, but we always have a concierge in the parking lot to help people find their way. Once the weather improves we’ll get the painting done.”
The simplest way to ensure smooth service through the renovations and beyond is to sign up for an Express account at express.return-it.ca. The depot will continue to offer their Drop N’ Go cash service to those customers who don’t have access to the internet or prefer cash.
Visit Willowbrook Recycling at 19641 60 Ave in Langley, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at willowbrookrecycling.com.
