The Bottle Depot
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersVictoria, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Bottle Depot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bottle Depot
- Legal name
- The Bottle Depot
- Website
- https://bottledepot.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bottle Depot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beverage Container Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Waste Collection (56211), Waste Collection (5621)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Deposit Return System (DRS) / Bottle Bill Counting & Processing Centers (BPALADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Recycling Transfer & Consolidation (Single-Stream, Dual-Stream, Source-Separated) (EUAIABAC)
Keywords
Where The Bottle Depot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Victoria
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Bottle Depot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Beverage Container Refund Processing: Processes beverage containers and pays customers the deposit refund. Revenue is derived from processing fees from the beverage recycling program (Encorp Pacific/Return-It).
- Recycling Processing Services: Handles recycling for various materials including electronics, small appliances, household items through Recycle BC partnership. Provides free residential recycling drop-off services.
- Bottle Drive Services: Provides bottle drive services for community groups and charities, enabling them to raise funds through beverage container collection. No charge for drop-off or pickup.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard beverage container deposit |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
The Bottle Depot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bottle Depot operates physical recycling depots that process beverage containers and pay full deposit refunds (10 cents per container) on aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic drink containers, and Tetra Paks. It supplements this core beverage container service with recycling drop-off for household items (electronics, small appliances, power tools, batteries, paint, metals, freon appliances, styrofoam, paper, cardboard, cartons, light bulbs, and flexible plastic) and offers bottle drive fundraising, commercial/multifamily pickup services, and a BC School Recycling Program.
Product overview
The Bottle Depot operates a single unified product—beverage container deposit return services with full refunds—positioned as the only full refund Return It depot in Victoria, BC. The core offering is beverage container recycling, augmented by a suite of complementary recycling services for household and electronic waste. Supporting products include Bottle Drives (a fundraising service for community groups), Commercial/Multifamily Pickups (business-oriented collection services), and the BC School Recycling Program. Additional specialized recycling streams cover electronics, small appliances, power tools, batteries, paint, metals, freon appliances, styrofoam, and various residential materials (glass, paper, plastic, cartons, light bulbs). The company operates multiple depot locations (Downtown Victoria, Glanford Ave, Quadra Street, Sooke, and Squamish) with varying accepted materials at each site.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use The Bottle Depot
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Bottle Depot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Bottle Depot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Encorp Pacific (Return-It)coreEncorp Pacific sponsors the BC School Recycling Program with $15,000 in cash prizes for schools. Any prize won from Encorp is matched in full. The Bottle Depot serves as the pickup and drop-off location for schools participating in the program.
- Recycle BCcoreBottle Depot serves as a free household recycling drop-off location for Recycle BC materials at the Downtown Victoria location (655 Queens Ave). Accepts residential plastic, metal, paper containers, paper & cardboard, cartons, and other Recycle BC materials.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Bottle Depot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Recycle BC: Recycle BC is the BC residential packaging stewardship agency that designates The Bottle Depot as a free drop-off point for its materials. Comparable as the program partner setting depot-level collection obligations and consumer-facing accepted-material standards.
Broad incumbents
- Tomra Systems: Tomra is the global leader in reverse vending machines and beverage container deposit-return infrastructure, supplying counting technology and operating programs worldwide. Comparable as the broader industry incumbent defining the DRS category The Bottle Depot operates within.
- Emterra Group: Emterra provides municipal curbside recycling, commercial recycling, and materials processing across Canadian markets. Comparable as a diversified recycling services provider with overlapping accepted-material streams and B2B pickup services.
- Cascades Recovery: Cascades Recovery operates MRFs and recycling collection infrastructure across Canada, including mixed-stream recyclables. Comparable as a larger diversified recycling operator with overlapping post-collection sorting and processing scope.
- GFL Environmental Inc. GFL is a major North American waste-management and recycling services platform operating collection, transfer, and processing assets. Comparable as a larger, multi-stream recycling competitor with overlapping commercial and residential diversion services.
- Encorp Pacific (Return-It): Encorp Pacific operates the Return-It beverage container stewardship program in BC and directly contracts The Bottle Depot as a depot operator. Most comparable as the program's umbrella incumbent governing transaction-fee economics, accepted materials, and competing depots.
Regional players
- The Beer Store (Beverage Canada): The Beer Store operates Ontario's large-format beverage container return network for alcohol producers. Comparable as a regional retail-depot return operator handling high beverage-container volumes, though it operates in Ontario rather than BC.
- Bottle Depot (Winnipeg): Independent Manitoba-based beverage container return depot operating a similar consumer-return deposit model under that province's stewardship regime. Comparable as a regional independent depot operator with comparable product offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Bottle Depot social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bottle Depot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bottle Depot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Bottle Depot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bottle Depot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Bottle Depot
What does The Bottle Depot do?
The Bottle Depot operates physical recycling depots that process beverage containers and pay full deposit refunds (10 cents per container) on aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic drink containers, and Tetra Paks. It supplements this core beverage container service with recycling drop-off for household items (electronics, small appliances, power tools, batteries, paint, metals, freon appliances, styrofoam, paper, cardboard, cartons, light bulbs, and flexible plastic) and offers bottle drive fundraising, commercial/multifamily pickup services, and a BC School Recycling Program.
Is The Bottle Depot a public or private company?
The Bottle Depot is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Bottle Depot founded?
The Bottle Depot was founded in 1994. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Bottle Depot based?
The Bottle Depot is headquartered in Victoria, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Bottle Depot make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Beverage Container Refund Processing is the primary driver. The others are recycling Processing Services and bottle Drive Services.
Who are The Bottle Depot's main competitors?
Recycle BC is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Tomra Systems, Emterra Group, Cascades Recovery, GFL Environmental Inc. and Encorp Pacific (Return-It). Regional players are The Beer Store (Beverage Canada) and Bottle Depot (Winnipeg).
Does The Bottle Depot have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bottle Depot.
What industry is The Bottle Depot in?
The Bottle Depot's product category is Beverage Container Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAK, Deposit Return System (DRS) / Bottle Bill Counting & Processing Centers, with a secondary code of EUAIANAE, Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops). Its NAICS code is 56211 and its SIC code is 4953.