Village of Lumby residents will have to look elsewhere to recycle bottles and cans.
The For Sale sign is coming out of the front window of the Venture Bottle and Recycling Depot on Miller Street – owned and operated by the Vernon and District Association for Community Living (Venture Training).
Rumours circulating around the village that the depot would be closing down will likely come to fruition.
“We have reached an agreement with a buyer,” said Ryan Cucheron, director of operations for Venture Training on Thursday, July 27. “As of Aug. 17, that will be the last day VDACL owns the bottle depot business and the building it’s in.”
Sale price and buyer were not disclosed.
Asked if the new owner would continue to use the facility as a bottle and recycling depot, Cucheron said, “I don’t believe so,” meaning village residents may have to go to Vernon or further for recycling purposes.
“The licence will be coming out for tender for the area, so anyone is welcome to bid on that,” he added.
In an e-mail to the Morning Star, Recycle BC corrected that statement.
Recycle BC is responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling in the province, and said it has not been notified of an upcoming closure. The decision to continue to operate the bottle depot is at the discretion of the business owner.
“Should a service closure of the current depot take place, Recycle BC will explore new partnership opportunities to continue to offer collection of depot materials to Village of Lumby residents, but this will not necessarily be in the form of a competitive tender process,” said Recycle BC.
Venture Training has been trying to sell the business and building for more than a year.
They’ve spent close to a decade operating what was originally developed as a business/program that helped offer job skills and skills to get employment for adults with developmental disabilities.
“Over the years, interest in it (program/business) has waned in terms of the participants wanting to go out there,” said Cucheron.
“It’s not in our mandate to keep it going for what we are. We’re a non-profit organization that creates housing, employment skills and day programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
“It just wasn’t fitting in with what we’re moving toward.”
There are currently seven employees at the bottle and recycling depot.
If the Lumby bottle depot closes, or stops accepting beverage containers, packaging and paper products, residents can find more information about the locations they can recycle beverage containers through the program that manages beverage containers, Return-It, and more information about the locations they can recycle packaging and paper not accepted in curbside recycling bins, such as flexible plastics and foam packaging on the Recycle BC website.
These items will not be accepted at the Lumby Diversion and Disposal Facility.
This story was updated Friday, July 28,at 1:30 p.m. with information from Recycle BC
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