Welcome to a new recycling experience at the Grandview Return-It

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 23, 2025--

Return-It is announcing the grand opening of a brand-new Return-It at 2890 Grandview Highway. When the nearby depot closed in 2021, residents in the area were left without easy and convenient access to a return location for their used beverage containers. Since the depot closed, Return-It has been working diligently to fill the gap created and restore accessibility to residents in the East Vancouver community.

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From left to right: Return-It President and CEO Cindy Coutts and Vancouver City Councillors Mike Klassen and Lisa Dominato, participate in a ribbon cutting to open Return-It's newest location on Grandview Highway in East Vancouver.

“We know most people want to do the right thing but unfortunately sometimes beverage containers end up in the trash, especially when return options are not convenient,” said Cindy Coutts, President and CEO of Return-It. “By opening this new modern location in an area that’s been underserved for years, we’re ensuring millions of beverage containers are diverted from landfills, put back into the circular economy and that deposit refunds are conveniently returned to residents making the right choice.”

The new Return-It on Grandview Highway was developed with the customer experience at its core. Gone are the days of traditional manual sorting of beverage containers by customers. The new Return-It location boasts two convenient customer return options: Return-It’s Express bag drop program – no sorting, no line-ups and direct deposit refunds or reverse vending machines (RVMs) and cash refunds onsite. In addition to offering a modern and inviting experience for customers, cleanliness and ensuring a safe environment within the neighbourhood will also be a top priority with routine cleaning both inside and outside. Return-It is redefining the recycling experience for beverage containers, focused on modernization to help improve recovery rates.

“We want to make recycling easier and more accessible for Vancouverites,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “By partnering with organizations like Return-It, we’re bringing modern and convenient recycling options to neighbourhoods that don’t yet have dedicated locations for returning beverage containers.”

Return-It is a leading example of extended producer responsibility (EPR), where the responsibility of collecting and recycling end-of-life materials is placed on the producers and consumers of the regulated material, rather than relying on taxpayers and municipalities to fund the system. Coupled with the results-based framework for recycling established by the Ministry of Environment and Parks, the BC deposit return system is often studied by other jurisdictions around the world as a model example. A core tenet of the BC model is to continually maximize recovery in the most effective and efficient way possible, both environmentally and fiscally.

“This new location not only brings much needed accessibility to the area but will also act as a testing and innovation site, where new technology, new processes and new services can be piloted to make the customer experience even better while reducing costs,” said Cindy Coutts. “Along with using these new small footprint reverse vending machines, the first of their kind in North America, artificial intelligence counting will be rolled out here soon as a pilot.”

The new Grandview Return-It will also act as a host location for a new pilot project shared by Encorp and the Brewers’ Recycled Container Collection Council (BRCCC) who are responsible for alcohol in aluminum cans and refillable glass beer/cider bottles in BC. This pilot project will inform both producer responsibility organizations on the efficacy and effectiveness of its new technology to help both improve their operations.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Return-It on this pilot project to test new technologies that may improve the efficiencies of both beverage container programs,” said Evan Southern, Vice President Government Relations, Western Canada at Beer Canada. “The brewer industry is keen to find ways to improve operational efficiencies and consumer convenience to maintain BRCCC’s high performance. BRCCC and Encorp have a shared commitment and responsibility for high performance, system improvements and excellence in customer service.”

Since 1994, Encorp Pacific (Canada) better known as Return-It has been dedicated to the aspirational goal of fostering a world where nothing is waste. Executing on its mandate to develop, manage and improve systems to recover used beverage containers from consumers, it has diverted more than 25 billion beverage containers from landfills and waterways, helping to create a better future for people, communities and the planet.

About Return-It

Return-It is an industry owned, not-for-profit, product stewardship agency with beverage container management as its core business. Its mandate is to develop, manage and improve systems for the responsible collection and recycling of beverage containers across British Columbia. This work includes the development and implementation of initiatives that provide new solutions to reduce waste effectively and efficiently. Visit Return-It.ca for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251022436416/en/

CONTACT: Media Contact:

Cindy Coutts, President and CEO –[email protected]

Evan Southern, Vice President Government Relations, Western Canada at Beer Canada –[email protected]

Mickey Ho, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations –[email protected]

KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER CONSUMER ENVIRONMENT WOMEN MEN GREEN TECHNOLOGY FOOD/BEVERAGE CONSUMER RETAIL RECYCLING

SOURCE: Encorp Pacific (Canada)

Copyright Business Wire 2025.

PUB: 10/23/2025 05:19 PM/DISC: 10/23/2025 05:19 PM

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251022436416/en