Why can't you return empties in downtown Toronto?
Why can't you return empties in downtown Toronto?
This is frustrating. I live in a small apartment and my nearest beer store is over 20min walk. I can get to at least 6 LCBOs in that time and dozens of grocery stores that sell alcohol. I'm not even the worst off..
Note that in the map posted the middle location is Yonge and Dundas which doesn't accept bottles. So if you live in the downtown core you can be walking 30min easy (each way).
You can see a map here, but which ones accept bottles or not aren't indicated until you click "show details". https://www.thebeerstore.ca/locations
How is this acceptable? I am forced to pay a deposit on every bottle but have nowhere to return them. Either I save up and haul a giant bag 20min or drive. Either way a waste of space in my apartment and I don't even drink that much.
It seems that we need a solution.
- Make LCBOs take bottles back. (or anywhere that sells alcohol, including Beer Store delivery)
- Remove the deposit and recommend recycling (sucks for bottles which are better washed and reused rather than crushed and reformed).
- At least make the Yonge and Dundas store accept empties. This would at least give options in downtown core that are less than 15min away. Still not great but closes a gaping hole.
Leave them on the curb for Freddie to pick it up and return them.
I would be super happy to do this if there was a nice spot for it. But I don't want to just dump bottles and cans on the street. Downtown is messy enough.
Maybe I should convince our building to put a "charity bottles and can bin" outside our building.
Really I think I am going to start just recycling them. I feel a bit bad that the bottles can't be reused but I mostly drink canned beer anyways which IIUC is basically just recycled when returned to The Beer Store anyways.
Try leaving a few out, come back a little while later and see if they are still sitting there. Especially when its garbage collection time. Before the trucks come a can doesn't last 30 mins sitting on the street before someone comes to get it.
Looks pretty normal for Toronto to be honest. Which isn't a high bar for walkability. 🤷 I wouldn't expect this to change in the next decade or two.