SkipTheDepot

What SkipTheDepot does

SkipTheDepot is a Calgary-based, privately held recycling pickup service founded in 2017, operating exclusively in Alberta, Canada across 27 cities. The company operates a mobile-first (iOS and Android) and web platform that connects residential, commercial, condo, and organizational customers with a network of independent contractor drivers who collect beverage containers, electronics, and clothing from doorsteps and deliver cashless refunds via Interac e-Transfer within 48 hours.

The underlying platform handles booking, driver ETA tracking, photo-based count confirmation, recurring scheduling, payment processing, and routing for its driver and bottle-depot partner network. Product surface spans Bottle & Can Pickup (core), Drop&Go drop-off, Electronics Recycling, Clothing Recycling, and eight fundraising tiers (Charity, Not-For-Profit, School, Team, League, Community, Church, Personal) plus a commercial High-Volume Pickup tier for organizations processing 50,000+ containers per month. Cumulative platform activity includes 115M+ containers recycled and $3M+ donated to Alberta causes through 2,700+ registered charity partners.

SkipTheDepot monetizes via transaction-based take rates: up to 30% on residential services and up to 50% on commercial services, while charity services are 0% (freemium) as a brand and acquisition channel. Distribution is product-led through app store presence, with a parallel Bottle Depot Partner Network licensing the platform's booking, routing, and payment software to depot operators. The company's customer base of 75,000+ Albertans, 5,000+ five-star reviews, and 2,700+ charity partnerships indicate meaningful operating scale, though no revenue, funding, or headcount trend data is publicly disclosed.

Name

SkipTheDepot

Legal name

SkipTheDepot

Website

https://skipthedepot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SkipTheDepot is a Calgary-based mobile-first recycling pickup platform serving 75,000+ residential, commercial, and charity customers across Alberta with door-to-door collection of beverage containers, electronics, and clothing, monetizing via transaction take rates of up to 30% (residential) and 50% (commercial).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bottle Pickup Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycling, E-Waste & End-of-Life Takeback Programs (TLAAALAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)

Keywords

• Bottle pickup service
• Recycling services
• Charity fundraising
• Beverage container recycling
• Deposit refund service

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Residential pickup service: SkipTheDepot charges a service fee (up to 30%) on residential bottle and can pickup services. Customers receive deposit refunds minus the service fee.
2. Commercial pickup service: Commercial businesses receive pickup services with up to 50% service fee applied.
3. Charity fundraising platform: Charities use SkipTheDepot for free (0% service fee) as the company earns through volume and brand exposure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SkipTheDepot provides door-to-door pickup services for beverage containers (bottles, cans), electronics, and clothing from residential homes, businesses, and multi-family buildings across Alberta, Canada. Customers schedule pickups via a mobile app or web platform, independent contractor drivers collect the bags, and the company returns bottle deposits via Interac e-Transfer within 48 hours (minus a service fee). The platform also enables customers to donate their bottle refunds directly to over 2,700 registered charities, schools, and sports teams with tax receipt capability.

Product overview

SkipTheDepot is a mobile-first recycling and fundraising platform offering door-to-door pickup services for beverage containers (bottles, cans), electronics, and clothing across Alberta, Canada. The platform operates through native iOS and Android mobile apps and a web application, connecting customers with a network of drivers who collect recyclables and return deposits via Interac e-Transfer. The core product is the Bottle & Can Pickup Service, supplemented by Drop&Go drop-off locations, Electronics Recycling, and Clothing Recycling services. SkipTheDepot also provides a comprehensive fundraising module with eight distinct organizational tiers: Charity, Not-For-Profit, School, Team, League, Community, Church, and Personal Fundraising, each enabling organizations to receive recurring donations from supporters' bottle returns. Service tiers include Residential (up to 30% service fee), Commercial (up to 50% service fee), Condo, and Charity (0% service fee) pickup options. The platform facilitates donations to over 2,700 local charities and has helped customers donate over $3 million to Alberta causes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bottle & Can Pickup Service Door-to-door pickup of beverage bottles and cans from residential, commercial, and multi-family locations across 27 Alberta cities, with verified photo counts, driver ETA tracking, and deposit refunds via Interac e-Transfer within 48 hours. Service fee up to 30% for residential and up to 50% for commercial customers.
• Drop&Go Drop-off service allowing customers to skip the line at bottle depots by dropping bags of bottles and cans at designated SkipTheDepot locations while still receiving cashless returns via Interac e-Transfer.
• Electronics Recycling Pickup Pickup service for old electronic devices from homes, allowing customers to recycle electronics without visiting a recycling center.
• Clothing Recycling Pickup Pickup service for used clothing donations, with items matched to local charity partners for donation or recycling.
• Charity & Organization Fundraising Platform Free fundraising service (0% service fee) enabling registered charities, non-profits, schools, sports teams, leagues, community groups, churches, and individuals to receive recurring donations from supporters' bottle refunds, with donor tax receipt issuance, donor information, free marketing materials, and social media shoutouts.
• Commercial Pickup Service Multi-site and weekly scheduled pickup services for businesses featuring industrial bins and bags, with service fees up to 50%. Includes High Volume tier for organizations processing 50,000+ containers per month with custom pricing and dedicated account management.
• Condo Bottle Pickup Bottle and can recycling pickup service for apartment complexes and condominiums, providing pickup from building recycling rooms with coordinated access.
• Bottle Drives (Community & Corporate) Organized bottle drive events enabling groups, organizations, and companies to raise money through collective bottle donations. Includes Company Bottle Drives for corporate employee and customer donation campaigns.
• Mobile App (iOS and Android) Native mobile applications available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store for booking pickups, tracking driver status, managing charity donations, and cashing out via Interac e-Transfer.
• Web Application Browser-based customer platform at app.skipthedepot.com for booking pickups, managing accounts, and accessing SkipTheDepot services without installing the mobile app.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3 million donated to Alberta charities through SkipTheDepot platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Mustard SeedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Spirit of Giving 2025 campaign partner across Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. SkipTheDepot collects bottle refunds and winter essentials (clothing, hygiene items, blankets, gift cards) for The Mustard Seed to support Albertans facing homelessness and poverty during the holiday season (Dec 1 - Jan 31). Winter essential pickups run Dec 1 - Jan 5.
• Calgary Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Alberta-Wide Christmas Food Drive 2025 partner. Calgary Food Bank is accepting bottle refund donations (not physical food) through SkipTheDepot during the holiday season (Dec 1 - Jan 31).
• Edmonton's Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Christmas Food Drive 2025 partner accepting both food donations and bottle refunds. Food pickup runs Dec 1 - Jan 5, bottle donations through Jan 31.
• Lethbridge Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Christmas Food Drive 2025 partner accepting both food and bottle donations. Food and bottle pickup runs Dec 1 - Jan 5.
• The AlexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2025Holiday Hope Totes 2025 campaign partner. SkipTheDepot collects bottle refunds to fund The Alex's care packages with winter essentials and gift cards for Calgarians in need (Nov 7, 2025 - Jan 1, 2026). With promo code HOPETOTES, 100% of bottle refund goes to The Alex.
• Bottle Depots (Partner Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSkipTheDepot provides software for iOS, Android, and web to bottle depot partners, handling booking, routing, e-transfer payments, and customer support. Depots gain access to residential, commercial, multi-family and charity pickup volume.
• Independent Contractor DriverscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional contractor partners using vans, trucks or trailers to haul recycling to bottle depots. Drivers operate as independent contractors using SkipTheDepot apps for routing and pickup management.
• 2,700 Alberta Charities, Schools, and Sports TeamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkipTheDepot has helped customers donate over $3 million to 2,700 local charities, schools, and sports teams across Alberta. Partner organizations receive recurring donations from customer bottle refunds.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TerraCycle: Specialty recycling platform addressing hard-to-recycle streams (e-waste, household waste, branded packaging) with brand-funded and zero-waste-box models. Comparable in that SkipTheDepot's Electronics Recycling service is a lighter-weight version of TerraCycle's broader downstream recycling partnerships.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore Donation Pickup: Free pickup of furniture and large household donations for Habitat ReStores. Adjacent to SkipTheDepot's clothing/donation verticals with similar charity-partner economics, but does not touch beverage-container recycling.
• Salvation Army Donation Pickup Program: Established incumbent offering free donation pickup (furniture, clothing, household goods) routed to thrift stores. Larger scale and brand than SkipTheDepot, but covers general donations only — SkipTheDepot competes on the bottle-deposit-specific subset that the Salvation Army does not monetize.

Direct peers

• Simple Recycling (now Circular Services): Door-to-door curbside pickup of clothing, shoes, and small household items donated to local charities. Closest analog by structure — doorstep collection monetized via downstream buyers and donations rather than bottle deposits.
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK: North America's largest door-to-door junk removal franchise. Operates the same haul-on-demand, app/booking-based pickup model SkipTheDepot uses, but for general household junk instead of beverage containers; comparable in technology stack, contractor-driver structure, and per-pickup take-rate economics.
• LoadUp: Tech-enabled on-demand junk pickup with a strong donation/reuse angle, similar to SkipTheDepot's charity donation feature. Uses upfront online booking, photos, and an asset-light contractor network to serve residential and commercial customers.
• GreenDrop: Scheduled donation pickup service partnering with charities (American Red Cross, Military Order of the Purple Heart, etc.) to collect clothing and household goods curbside. Same pickup-from-home, charity-affiliated operating model as SkipTheDepot's fundraising verticals.

Others

• Recycle Coach / ReCollect: Municipal recycling apps and program-management software used by cities to guide residents on what/where to recycle. Adjacent enabling layer with overlapping mobile-app distribution, but serves municipal programs rather than deposit-return pickup.

Emerging players

• Roadie (UPS): Crowd-sourced, app-based local delivery platform using everyday drivers. Shares the asset-light, contractor-driver, app-led booking and routing architecture SkipTheDepot uses for its pickup logistics, though focused on general parcel delivery rather than recycling.

Regional players

• Alberta Bottle Depots (Bottle Depot Association): Traditional brick-and-mortar bottle depots in Alberta that SkipTheDepot's service effectively substitutes for. Operate the physical redemption counters SkipTheDepot partners with and represent the status quo SkipTheDepot disrupts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skipthedepot
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkipTheDepot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skipthedepot
• Instagraminstagram.com/skipthedepot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SkipTheDepot