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Message From the President

Season’s Greetings

As we approach the Holiday Season we have the opportunity to reflect on the events of the last year and to look forward to increased prosperity in 2010. We have been experiencing a tough recession; however, depots continue to do well. This resilience is a wonderful testament to our purpose and the work we do together. On behalf of Encorp’s staff and Board of Directors, I want to wish all of you and your loved ones health and happiness in the New Year.

Handling Fee Panel of Depot Owners

Several months ago I invited some 30 depot owners to participate with Encorp on a panel that will examine future (starting in spring 2012) handling fees. I am pleased to report that the majority have accepted this invitation. As well the members of the Council of Depot Owners (CODO) have agreed to participate and to act as a steering committee. I expect to have our first conference call in mid December and to begin our work in the spring of 2010 with the ultimate goal of Encorp presenting a handling fee proposal in about two (2) years at the Annual Depot conference in October 2011. I will provide regular updates to all depots through this forum and the CODO newsletter.

I would like to extend another invitation for those who have not responded and or are interested in participating in this project to contact me directly as soon as possible to ensure that you are included in the first meeting.

New Products added to Electronics/Electrical Program

Late last year, the government announced a dramatic expansion in the products to be covered by a stewardship program commencing in July 2010. Depots under contract with Encorp to handle televisions, monitors, computers, etc., have been advised of the new products (VCR, DVD players, audio systems, etc) that will be coming back starting next summer. If you have any questions please contact Tyler Garnes.

However, there are many other products that will be managed by other stewardship agencies and not Encorp; namely, cell phones, small appliances, florescent lamps, household batteries and many other electrical products. We have chosen to stay away from these products out of a concern that depots would be overloaded and/or there are potential handling and safety risks.

We have advised the new stewardship agencies of our concerns and asked them to contact Encorp if they would like to have a depot act as a collection location. We will consult with each operator to make the right decision. Similarly, if you are approached directly, please contact Depot Operations before agreeing to collect these new materials. As a general rule we are advising depots to avoid collecting fluorescents lamps and household batteries. The volume will be insignificant however the safety risks are relatively high.

Caps Off - Be safe

Due to safety and efficiency, caps should be removed from all beverage containers prior to bagging for pick up.  If your Depot has not implemented this procedure please ensure that "caps off" becomes common practice at your depot as soon as possible.  Bottles with caps left on can become a safety issue for transporters and processors.

A bag can become excessively heavy due to residual liquid left in the bottles; thus, more difficult to lift.  Since a bottle with the cap off is more likely to drain, it helps to have the customer remove the lids prior to returning them at your depot.

At the processor level, there is a risk of bails popping, causing the wire to snap and could potentially injure an employee as a result.  If the bottles contain air, compacting a bail of bottles is more inefficient. The more bottles that have the caps off, the smaller the risk for bottles to snap back, breaking the bailing wire.  We recommend that all depots get buckets to place on the sorting tables for your customers to put the caps in. 

Collect all the caps and give them to your driver in a separate, easy to carry bag.  If your transporter is unable take the caps, please notify us and we will be glad to assist you.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Encorp.

Author: J. Zuijdervelt

MEET THE ENCORP STAFF

Wilson Sit

We are pleased to announce that Wilson Sit has been promoted from Quality Assurance Manager to Transportation and Processing Manager. In his new role, Wilson will be reporting to Tyler Garnes, Logistics Manager, to ensure our network of transportation and processing in both beverages and electronics programs are running smoothly and operating efficiently. This move complements our expansion plan for collection of new electronics which will become effective July 1, 2010.

Doug Merrier

We are pleased to announce that Doug Merrier has been promoted from Electronics Program and IT Manager to Regional Operations Manager. In his new role, Doug will be working along with Jeroen Zuijdervelt and Krystin Beck on improving our depot network and infrastructure including assisting in depot relocations and renovations, the Five Star Program, and customer service to increase sales volume.

Both Doug and Wilson have done a great job supporting Encorp over the past years and we are confident that they will meet the new responsibilities and challenges with the same level of enthusiasm they have exhibited since they came to work with Encorp. Please join us in congratulating Wilson and Doug in their new positions.

The new Quality Assurance Manager and System Administrator will be announced shortly.

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School Recycling Program Update

The 2009 - 2010 Encorp Pacific BC School Recycling Program is back for another exciting year!

This year, the Elementary program will be running until June 11, 2010 and the High School program will be running until May 14, 2010. Our programs give schools a great opportunity to fundraise, in addition to being eligible to participate in The Return-It Man @ School program as well as other fun contests.  Check back with us in the New Year for more information on how Return-It Man could potentially visit a participating school in your community. 

So far this year we have 346 schools registered and they have already collected over 1.1 million containers!

To receive a list of schools in your depot's territory (school district) and to recieve additional school program brochures, please contact Manny Sahota at manny@encorpinc.com or at (604) 473-2419.

Author: M.Sahota

Depot Technology - Dyson Airblade

Recently, Depot Operations had a chance to meet with representatives from Dyson where they presented a unique and technologically advanced hand dryer called Dyson Airblade. 

Dyson Airblade is the fastest and most hygienic hand dryer on the market today. It dries hands in 12 seconds with a high-velocity sheet of cool air. Instead of heat and evaporation, water is 'scraped' from the hands using a sheet of air traveling at 640 km/h, making it up to 80% more energy efficient than warm air hand driers. The Airblade is the only hand dryer certified by NSF International as it complies with their strict protocols for a hygienic hand dryer. A HEPA filter removes over 99.9% of bacteria from the air, so your hands are dried with only purified air.  Dyson stands behind their product by offering a 5 year parts, 1 year labour guarantee.

For more information visit www.dysonairblade.ca or contact Danielle Stevens of Dyson at 1-877-397-6622.

Author: K. Beck

Uniforms on sale

In an attempt to clear out inventory and ensure that depot employees are kept warm during the winter season, we have discounted many of our depot uniforms. Here are some of the savings that can be found online:

1. Golf shirts - Regular price $19.00 each, Sale price $14.25. That is a 25% discount off the regular price.
2. Grey hoodies - Regular price $23.00 each, Sale price $17.25. That is 25% off the regular price.
3. Blue T-shirts - Regular price $9.00 each, Clearance price $4.50. This is an amazing 50% off the original price.
4. Yellow T-shirts -Regular price $9.00 each, Clearance price $4.50. These were discounted by 50% on the last forum.

Please do not miss out on these great sales items, quantities are limited. 

Be sure to check out the “Sale Items”, such as recycled PET fleece toques, section for all items that have been reduced to sell. All of these items can be purchased online at our Supply Outlet.

Author: C. Chan

Encorp, Orwak and the Olympics

Keep Your Depot Safe and Accessible - Remove the snow

Each year as winter approaches, depot safety becomes a big concern. In many parts of British Columbia, we have already seen the first snowfall of the season.

If your depot does not have snow removal equipment, please ensure that you purchase it as soon as possible. Please do not wait until the snow starts to fall before purchasing these items. Once, the snow starts to fall it is in greater demand and they become more difficult to find and purchase. If you already have this equipment, please take it out of storage and have it ready for use at your depot. Shoveling the snow and salting your premises are very important and can greatly reduce injuries at your depot.

Please clean your parking lot, driveway, and entrance for your customers and transporters each day prior to opening your depot. Don’t miss out on customers and pickups due to snow causing limited access to your depot. Remember that customers will visit another depot if your lot is not accessible. Please also note that transporters may not pick up from your depot if they can't get onto your premises. We've seen this happen last winter.

Thank you for your cooperation.  We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Author: J. Zuijdervelt

Post Depot Conference Review

Olympics and Transportation