Used oil recycling seacan at Interior Freight & Bottle Depot in Vernon. (Submitted photo)

By Pete McIntyre

Top collector

Vernon business wins award for oil & antifreeze recycling

Mar 24, 2021 | 2:35 PM

A Vernon business is being honoured for its efforts to safely recycle oil products.

Interior Freight and Bottle Depot is one of 30 return collection facilities in B.C. to receive a Top Collector Award from the B.C. Used Oil Management Association (BCUOMA). It’s the second year in a row the Vernon business has received the award.

The not-for-profit BCUOMA is involved in the collection and recycling of used lubricating oil, oil filters, oil containers, used antifreeze and antifreeze containers.

“These B.C. organizations are some of the most dedicated used oil and antifreeze return collection facilities in Canada,” David Lawes, CEO, BC Used Oil Management Association, said. “They continue to provide convenient, environmentally-friendly and easy-to-use infrastructures for their customers to return their used oil and antifreeze materials.

Lawes said the efforts were even more impressive in 2020 due to the pandemic, as they had to navigate their way through many additional challenges to ensure their customers were comfortable and safe while returning their materials.

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One of the criteria for the awards is the total amount of used oil, oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze and antifreeze containers collected at the location.

Used oil is a valuable resource and if it is recycled at one of the association’s facilities, it can be recovered and re-used. Used oil can be re-refined into new lubricating oil or sold as raw material inputs for manufacturing or energy products.

Additionally, used oil filters contain reusable scrap metal that steel producers can reuse for metal products like rebar, nails and wire. Plastic oil and antifreeze containers can be recycled into new oil containers, drainage tiles, and parking curbs. Used antifreeze can be refined and reused as new automotive antifreeze.

2020 Top Collector Award winners:

Rank	City	Name
1	Burnaby	City of Burnaby Eco-Center
2	Maple Ridge	Ridge Meadows Recycling Society
3	Williams Lake	Jepson Petroleum Ltd.
4	Victoria	Hartland Landfill
5	Quesnel	Jepson Petroleum Ltd.
6	Duncan	Bings Creek Recycling Centre
7	Mission	Mission Recycling Depot
8	Prince Rupert	Petro Canada (Prince Rupert – Marina)
9	Fort St. John	Fort St John Co-op Association – 100 Ave
10	Terrace	Petro Canada (Terrace)
11	Coquitlam	Mr. Lube #159
12	Surrey	Semiahmoo Bottle Depot
13	Vernon	Interior Freight & Bottle Depot Ltd.
14	Kamloops	Castle Fuels (2008) Inc.
15	100 Mile House	Castle Fuels (2008) Inc.
16	Surrey	Hallmark Ford Sales Ltd
17	Kelowna	Great Canadian Oil Change
18	Lower Nicola	Lower Nicola Eco-Depot (TNRD)
19	Castlegar	Ernie’s Used Auto Parts
20	Kamloops	Desert Cardlock Fuel Services Ltd
21	Cumberland	Comox Valley Waste Management Centre
22	Chilliwack	Chilliwack Bottle Depot
23	Ladysmith	Peerless Road Recycling Centre
24	Kelowna	Desert Cardlock Fuel Services Ltd
25	Prince George	Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill
26	Prince George	Jepson Petroleum Ltd.
27	Ucluelet	Columbia Fuels (Ucluelet) / Eagle Marine
28	Cranbrook	Cranbrook Depot (RDEK)
29	Sechelt	Columbia Fuels
30	Campbell River	Campbell River Waste Management Centre (CVRD)