'Binners' can redeem coffee cups for cash today at Victory Square

Oct 24 2016, 10:32 pm

For today only, “binners” in Vancouver will be able to redeem cash for disposable paper coffee cups.

In case you don’t know, binners are people who search for cans, bottles, and other recyclables to redeem them for a deposit.

The project called Coffee Cup Revolution is being organized by the Binners’ Project, a social and economic initiative dedicated to working with binners.

Around 300 binners are expected to take part in the project today and will keep volunteers busy with thousands of paper cups. Last year, over 31,000 disposable cups were collected in just four hours, and even more are expected this year.

The goal is to improve the economic conditions for binners across the city, and reduce the stigma they face as informal recyclable collectors.

A roundtable discussion will happen this morning from 10 am to noon to discuss the emerging green economy on the Downtown Eastside. The roundtable will include more than 30 guests such as general manager for engineering services with the City of Vancouver Jerry Dobrovolny, director of waste management and resource recovery at the City of Vancouver Albert Shamess, former Megaphone director and Vancity Credit Union development advisor Sean Condon, and MLA for Vancouver Hastings Shane Simpson.

“This project is a win-win, the binners are helping with cleaning up the streets by collecting used coffee cups, while making extra cash from material that would otherwise end up in the landfills,” says Binners’ Project Director Anna Godefroy in a release. “Our annual event is increasingly popular among binners, and also people working in nearby offices. Everyone is bringing in their used cups.”

Coffee Cup Revolution 2016

When: Monday, October 24; 10 am to 2 pm

Where: Victory Square – 200 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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