Reinventing the Bottle Depot or:

How Saskatchewan learned to stop worrying and love the

technology

Warning:This presentation contains spoilers about

a 54 year old movie, references to nuclear warfare that may hit too close to home for certain neighbours of Canada

at this point in our shared history, and worst of all only a single pie chart.

View discretion is advised.

Who Am I?

Who We Are

SARCAN Recycling• Started in 1988• 72 Bottle depots in 65

communities across SK• Beverage containers,

paint & electronics

Our Successes• 2nd Highest Return

Rate in Canada• 94% customer

satisfaction • 100% brand awareness

in SK

Our People• 783 employees (peak

season)• 60% experience

disability or were previously on social assistance

The Problem

Problems• Our customer visits

were dropping• Losing customers to

curbside bins

• Our return rate was dropping• Losing containers to the

landfill

Common Complaints1. Speed of service (wait

times)2. Odor3. Accuracy of counts

The Wait• Provincial average = 3

to 8 minutes• Maximum wait =

41 minutes

Who Hates The Wait?• Urbanites• Younger customers• Young parents• Businesses• Schools

The Plan

Options for Speedier Service• Automated Counting• Line skipping• Pick up services

Line Skipping• The right solution for

us• Non-profit• Low overhead• Maximizing employment

• Already in Newfoundland, and now in British Columbia

Deployment

SARCAN Drop & Go1. Create an account2. Visit SARCAN3. Log into your account4. Print tags5. Tag your bags & boxes6. Hand off your order

SARCAN Drop & Go• 2 forms of payment

• PayPal• Cheque

Standardized Service• We aim to provide the

same service in all 65 SARCAN communities

• Drop & Go is available in all depots

SARCAN Drop & Go• 2 types of installations

• Depots with a separate Drop & Go room

• Depots with a Drop & Go cart

SARCAN Drop & Go• Extended hours of

operation where we previously couldn’t provide late night or weekend service

Service Comparison• 3-5 business days to

receive payment• No daily limit for

containers returned

Eligible Customers• Individuals• Businesses• Schools• Fundraisers (virtual

bottle drive)

Informing the People

Good News:• We are offering a

solution to a reported problem

Bad News:• We are attempting to

change a 28 year old behavior

• We have to be careful about messaging

Most Wanted:• We need to understand

who are most likely users are• Early adopters• Word-of-mouth

• We need to understand their motives

Target Market:• Single men under 30• Married women with

children between 20 and 40

• Busy professionals (higher levels of education, higher levels of income)

• Urbanites

Key Motivators:• Time over money

• Embarrassment• How dirty their order is• What’s in their order• How their kids will behave

• Social stressors/ phobias

CampaignTalking to:A) The target market, B) Where they can be reached, C) About these motivators

Campaign• TV commercial• Digital campaign• Social media• Radio• Events

• Festivals• Tradeshows• Depot pop-ups

Internal Communications• Key to the

communications operation

Feedback

Feedback• Creating an open and

honest conversation has been the most important step

Survey• Created user groups,

with specific surveys for each group

• 1,800 of 4,700 users responded (38%)

• Provided feedback on payment, hours, ease of use, hardware, software

What we Heard• It’s amazing, but…

• E-Transfer payments• Extend hours• Clearer instructions• Quicker payments

Feedback• This feedback gives us

a roadmap on how to make this system more customer friendly

Results

Drop & Go Loyalists• 91% satisfaction rating• 82% will use Drop &

Go again• 95% would refer a

friend

Drop & Go Loyalists• 8,700 active users

• Add 500 new users each month

• 2% of all cash paid out• 8% in Regina• 5% in Saskatoon

Drop & Go Awareness• 72% rate of awareness• 55% affinity rating• Increased return rates

• 2016- 82%• 2018- 85%

The Traditional Visitors are Happier too• Customers are happier

when they have options

Customers Gave Up on Us• 29% of our Drop & Go

users had given up on visiting our bottle depots using the traditional line-up

Key Takeaways

Adapt.The world is changing.

Flexibility is key.

Engage.Involve your

stakeholders when designing (and redesigning).

Challenge.Take risks, but make

sure you make informed decisions.

99%

1%

Satisfied Unsatisfied

Thank you RCA.

Enjoy your evening and the rest of

the conference