The Municipality of Jasper has introduced a new recycling program that will benefit local charity groups – and save time for those unwilling to wait in line for their refund. 

At Jasper’s two recycling depots, located beside the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and in the industrial area, recyclables can now be deposited into a bin for a charity. The bottles will then be sorted by the Jasper Recycle Depot, who will take a portion of the refund to pay for their labour, and the rest will go directly to the charity of your choice. 

Janet Cooper, environmental stewardship co-ordinator for the Municipality of Jasper, said the program recycled old cages for collecting dairy containers that weren’t in use anymore. The cages were made to collect the dairy containers when the province introduced a dairy container recycling program. The province later blended that program into the regular recycling program, and the cages were left without a use. 

So far nine different charities have been approved, and donations can be made to one or more at both bottle depot locations. Cooper said there are 15 charities pending approval that could be open for donations in the future. 

“What we’re trying to do here is benefit the community,” she said. 

Because there has been so much interest in the program, Cooper said they could later rotate the charities on a monthly basis. The charities that sign up will benefit without having to do any of the labour. All sorting will be done by the Jasper Recycle Depot. 

“They don’t have to do anything except cash their cheque,” Cooper said of the charities. 

Funds from recyclables left near the bottle depot used to go to the Jasper Scholarship Fund, and will continue to, but the funds will be broken up and given to more groups. 

“It’s a great program,” Cooper said, adding that she hopes the new program will offer another option for people who want to recycle but don’t have the time to attend a bottle depot. In turn the program could help keep more recyclables out of landfills. 

“It benefits the community, and it helps the environment, and we’re all happy about it.”