Vancouver Binners Project aims for record-breaking coffee cup depot
Vancouver binners are set to host a record-breaking coffee cup depot, on Monday, October 16.
The event, known as the the Coffee Cup Revolution, takes place from 11 am to 2 pm in Victory Square Park.
“Coffee cups can be difficult to recycle, and often end up in landfills as a result,” said Davin Boutang, binner and Outreach Coordinator for the Binners’ Project.
“When you’re binning, you see them everywhere. Binners are doing great work collecting bottles and cans and keeping them out of the landfill. We can do that with coffee cups too.”
Starting at 11 am, a team of binners led by Boutang will open a depot in the park where binners can return coffee cups for five cents a cup, up to 400 cups each per visit (multiple visits permitted).
According to event organizers, the event is meant to demonstrate how a refund system could work for these single-use items. The depot closes at 4 pm.
Last year, the event set new records, with over 300 binners participating and more than 49,000 cups refunded and recycled.
“A refund system is a win-win situation,” said Anna Godefroy, Binners’ Project Director. “Treating coffee cups as we do bottles and cans will discourage people from throwing them out and, where that fails, incentivize binners to help divert this large amount of waste from Vancouver landfills.”
While the depot is running, city planners, local businesses and organizations, and residents and members of the public will participate in a series of roundtable discussions.
This year, discussion topics include strategies to reduce the presence of single use items in landfills, as well as broader issues related to green, inclusive economies, such as corporate social responsibility and social hiring.
The depot and event are open to the public and free to all, thanks to the support of BC Housing, SFU Vancity’s Office of Community Engagement, the City of Vancouver, and various other local businesses, foundations, and organizations.
This comes as the City of Vancouver is in the middle of a process that explores banning single-use items, such as disposable coffee cups and both paper and plastic bags.
Binners Project Coffee Cup Revolution 2017
When: Monday, October 16, 2017
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Where: Victory Square Park, Vancouver
Admission: Free
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