SARCAN depots to reopen to the public June 15

If those empty cans and bottles have been building up in your garage, you’ll soon have a place to take them.

SARCAN is reopening its depots to the public June 15 — nearly three months after it closed them March 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recycling facility is to have some limited availability for bulk customers like bars, restaurants and bottle drives starting Monday.

There will be new rules and recommendations in place at the depots to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.

Markers and arrows will be on the floor to ensure physical distancing. Staff members will ramp up cleaning practices, all employees will be required to wear personal protective equipment, and hand sanitizer will be on site for customers.

SARCAN is also pointing at the different ways for residents to drop off their recycling, limiting both wait times and contact with others.

Sean Homenick, SARCAN’s manager of communications and culture, broke down the different options.

“The first thing you’re going to notice is you’ll be welcomed to the depot by a ‘recycling guide.’ That will be one of our team members who will guide you through your options for returns and some of our safety measures,” he explained.

From there, people can choose from two different methods.

First, there’s the traditional way of standing in line and handing their bottles, cans and containers to an employee to be sorted, then taking their slip and getting paid in cash.

However, Homenick recommends what he calls the “drop and go” method, where patrons can leave their returns at the store and get paid electronically.

“It’s going to be our lowest-contact and quickest way to visit SARCAN during our busy summer months … We get a lot of feedback from customers who say, ‘This is a lifesaver. Don’t ever change it. Please don’t ever get rid of this,’ ” he said.

It could end up being needed quite a bit: Homenick expects there to be a lot of people eager to head to the depots starting June 15.

“We’re expecting, when we reopen, to be quite popular,” he said.