Need to return your bottles without actually going to the bottle depot? There's now an app for that. SkipTheDepot was launched by a Calgary-based software engineer, Thomas Gayef, and now its services are expanding to Cochrane. "The concept is kind of like an Uber for bottle recycling. Instead of going to your bottle depot and waiting in line, hauling all of your foul smelling bottles and cans into your car or truck, you can now use a pick up using our app," he said. All a user has to do is type in their address and the number of bags to pick up. Once you make a request for a pick up on the app, a driver will arrive at your home, pick up your empty recyclables and then have them counted at a sorting facility. After that, the deposits will be sent to you in an e-transfer. "The audience we would cater to is anyone who feels that their time is valuable and doesn't want to go stand in line for one, two, three hours in the bottle depot; anyone that doesn't have a truck or carrying capacity to bring their containers back; students, elderly, people who use public transit," Gayef said. Thirty per cent of the bottle return monies will be collected to pay the driver's fees and gas. There's a charity option for the bottle money too. Any organization such as a charity, sports team or fundraiser can register as beneficiaries – the 70 per cent of bottle return money can be donated to the group of your choice, as long as they're registered to the app. "In Calgary, I know most people throw their bottles and cans into the blue bin which is their city recycling service. You pay for that anyway so in Calgary people are paying for their bottles and cans taken away by the city, which then redeems those and gets money," Gayef said. The app has gained traction since August. Gayef said there could be anywhere from two to 20 drivers working at any time. "I really disliked going to the bottle depot. I thought it was a terrible experience. It was loud and noisy and it smells bad and I had to dirty up my car. So hauling three to four bags in the backseat would cause my car to smell like a bottle depot. And then, when I got to the bottle depot, I had to wait in line for an hour and that whole experience was so displeasurable.” So far there are more than 60 groups signed up as beneficiaries including Diabetes Canada and The Mustard Seed. For more information on the app visit www.skipthedepot.com.
