Bottle & Can Drives

Bottle Drive Check List Click Here!

Follow these easy steps to organize a profitable can and bottle drive!

• Form a committee (it might be a committee already in place for fundraising or other community activities)
• Choose a team leader for the drive
• Assign responsibilities for the following steps

• Tell you which empty beverage containers we are accepting and what the refund rates are
• Assist you to plan a date that does not conflict with other drives in your area and that may be able to provide you with plastic bags for packing cans, plastic bottles, jugs and drink boxes
• Inform you of the required quantities and container types per bag for faster redemption

• The choice is between collecting door-to-door and having people bring containers to a central site
• Collecting door-to-door requires more volunteers and more vehicles, but it's more convenient for residents
• Central site collection works if you have a location (school, church, parking lot, sports area) where people can bring their empty beverage containers. This system requires fewer volunteers and vehicles, but calls for more publicity to get residents to bring empty containers to you.

Step 4 - Choose the collection area

Consult a map of your community to decide how large an area you'll canvass

• Concentrate on residential areas
• If there are apartments, check with the apartment managers to see if your team can get in to leave publicity notes and/or pick up empty ready-to-drink beverage containers. Some apartment managers may agree to save these containers for you.

Step 5 - Get the news out

• Once you have decided on the date, the area and the collection method, you can coordinate the publicity. This is essential to a successful drive.
• Have a reason for the drive such as buying sports equipment, financing a trip, helping in a building program or supporting a charity. Some goal the community can get behind.
• Print simple flyers with:
  • Name of your organization
  • Reason for drive
  • Date of drive
  • Time for collection
  • Collection method (door-to-door or central location)
  • List of what you are collecting
  • Telephone number people can call for information

• Deliver a flyer to every home in your collection area
• Make sure every member of your group has flyers to take home
• Write a short announcement of the event, including the information on the flyer, and send it to the community events page of your local newspaper and to the public service announcement departments at local radio and television stations

The most effective method of distributing information is delivery of door-to-door notices. If you have the volunteers to do this; you should deliver the notices twice, one month before the drive and the week of the drive.

Step 6 - Assign collection teams and equipment

• If you have chosen a door-to-door collection, divide the area into sections and assign collectors, drivers and vehicles to these areas
• If you have chosen a central site, have a team onsite to greet people bringing in donations, and facilities for handling empty containers until you're ready to deliver them to a Bottle and Return-It Depot
• Make sure packers follow the guide according to size and type. Soft drink and juice containers must be kept separate from containers for beer and other alcohol beverages.

Glass bottles should be packaged in cardboard boxes, in any quantity and sizes, making sure the number can be easily checked.

For any assistance, call: 250-748-2066