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Rough visualization of an "instant" bottled depot.[/caption]
Every neighbourhood in Vancouver plays host to a variety of binners who fish the neighbourhood's stream of returnable beverage containers. Unfortunately not every neighbourhood can have a permanent bottle depot; because... there are no suitable locations, leases are too expensive, resident will allow it when you-know-where freezes over.
But every neighbourhood has an empty lot, or an empty storefront. I'd like to see single-day, pop-up bottle depots, which, with suitable advance advertising, could partially meet the need for a depot in any neighbourhood, rich or poor. Like, say... Kitsilano, which is still without a new bottle depot.
In the last few years the concept of "pop-up" retail, or "flash marketing" has been used for trendy effect. Two recent examples: Banksy did it on a Saturday in Central Park during his one month residence in New York City. This December, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke and singer/songwriter Bobbie Gordon are reportedly planning to sell a new song as a limited edition 3D-printed record, from a pop-up shop in London. And trendiness aside, we're all familiar with Halloween stores popping up in empty storefronts before the holiday and vanishing in the week after.
There's nothing much to a bottle depot: sorting, counting, bagging, paying, and shipping. In a way it's simpler still: A customer area, where the bottles come in, and a staff area, where the returnable beverage containers are processed and bagged for shipping. Between the two area is a dividing line, often a long table where staff count the bottles the customers sort and bring up. The exact arrangement in each of the areas varies just as each bottle depot's building varies, in size and shape.
Anyone who's run a bottle depot would know how to tailor the specific layout make the best use of a given space. In fact, rain-or-shine, I can't see why the instant depot couldn't be open-air, in a big lot, with the counting tables under pavilion-style canopies; maybe a small processing area also. There would have to be a semi-trailer truck to hold the sorted and bagged containers. If the semi-trailer could sit on site fabulous -- it could even hold the awning over the counting table, and provide the point-of-location signage.
My idea does without electricity. The pop-up depot would operate with the sun. Say, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the winter, and open later, on into the summer. There would have to be another truck to haul away the inevitable garbage and recyclable cardboard. And, um, two porta-potties -- say, this is getting a little unwieldy. Maybe a security guard? And, what about a fork-lift?
Okay, there are logistics issues; basically the whole idea is a logistical problem, but it's one Encorp and it's Return-It bottle depot people could solve. I believe depots should go where the bottles are, when possible, and I think this idea could make that possible.
Rough visualization of an "instant" bottled depot.[/caption]Every neighbourhood in Vancouver plays host to a variety of binners who fish the neighbourhood's stream of returnable beverage containers. Unfortunately not every neighbourhood can have a permanent bottle depot; because... there are no suitable locations, leases are too expensive, resident will allow it when you-know-where freezes over.
But every neighbourhood has an empty lot, or an empty storefront. I'd like to see single-day, pop-up bottle depots, which, with suitable advance advertising, could partially meet the need for a depot in any neighbourhood, rich or poor. Like, say... Kitsilano, which is still without a new bottle depot.
In the last few years the concept of "pop-up" retail, or "flash marketing" has been used for trendy effect. Two recent examples: Banksy did it on a Saturday in Central Park during his one month residence in New York City. This December, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke and singer/songwriter Bobbie Gordon are reportedly planning to sell a new song as a limited edition 3D-printed record, from a pop-up shop in London. And trendiness aside, we're all familiar with Halloween stores popping up in empty storefronts before the holiday and vanishing in the week after.
Bottle depots could be easy to set up and dismantle
There's nothing much to a bottle depot: sorting, counting, bagging, paying, and shipping. In a way it's simpler still: A customer area, where the bottles come in, and a staff area, where the returnable beverage containers are processed and bagged for shipping. Between the two area is a dividing line, often a long table where staff count the bottles the customers sort and bring up. The exact arrangement in each of the areas varies just as each bottle depot's building varies, in size and shape.
Anyone who's run a bottle depot would know how to tailor the specific layout make the best use of a given space. In fact, rain-or-shine, I can't see why the instant depot couldn't be open-air, in a big lot, with the counting tables under pavilion-style canopies; maybe a small processing area also. There would have to be a semi-trailer truck to hold the sorted and bagged containers. If the semi-trailer could sit on site fabulous -- it could even hold the awning over the counting table, and provide the point-of-location signage.
My idea does without electricity. The pop-up depot would operate with the sun. Say, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the winter, and open later, on into the summer. There would have to be another truck to haul away the inevitable garbage and recyclable cardboard. And, um, two porta-potties -- say, this is getting a little unwieldy. Maybe a security guard? And, what about a fork-lift?
Okay, there are logistics issues; basically the whole idea is a logistical problem, but it's one Encorp and it's Return-It bottle depot people could solve. I believe depots should go where the bottles are, when possible, and I think this idea could make that possible.
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