depot events & news

Photo: Staff members Michelle Marsden and her dog Tess and Herb Katz

Pender Post Column November 2008

The depot is staffed by your friends and neighbours. Dedicated recyclers for sure but the friendliest people you could imagine. Even on a dull, rainy day the staff manages to have fun and make the recycling experience fun for our “customers.” Don’t be intimidated by your lack of experience. Who knows, you could be recycling rookie of the year!

The staff, always gentle with first timers, will be delighted to show you around, explain what goes where, what becomes of the recyclables after they leave your hands, and, with great pride, they will tell you what is “on sale” at the Free Store.

One of our staff members bakes spectacularly good bread and another was a golf pro. If a staff member challenges you to a putting contest better hope it’s the bread baker!

Tips for new and old recyclers:

1.  To avoid a fruitless Recycling Depot trip remember that the post summer hours and days of operation are in effect (October-May), namely
Tuesday     8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday   10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday      1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

2. In the interests of customer and staff well being, please remember to clean up your recyclables before dropping them off. Dirt or food encrusted material not only attracts unwanted insects and rodents but could also act as host for a variety of germs.

3. Lotsa goodies in the Free Store. Take a look and you may find just what you’ve been looking for . . . at the best possible price. Please check with staff before adding anything to the free store. Everything must be recyclable and in working order but some things are better handled on either the “give & take” board at the depot or the “give & take” segment of this website.

The Pender Island Recycling Society has four sources of funding:

a) An operating grant from the CRD which helps offset the cost of handling the many items for which there is no adequate resale market

b) A small capital grant from CRD

c) Resalable recycled items such as drink bottles, scrap metals, cardboard and paper

d) Membership sales and donations.

November is the start of our 2009 membership selling period (although we will gladly sell you a 2008 membership if you have thus far forgotten to renew). Similarly, November is a great time to make a tax deductable donation. While the new building was staff-built (under the leadership of Danette Stranan) and we have amazing technical assistance from islanders to keep some of the old equipment plodding along, we still incur new equipment costs from time to time (like $15,000 for a new hard plastic bailer this summer) so donations are always needed and appreciated.

- Mike Wiley, PIRS President