by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Oct 29/97) - There's money to be made in the bottle-recycling business.

That's what one Yellowknife businessman is finding out, as well as some residents who have cashed in their bottles.

"I started it because I wanted to bring awareness to Yellowknife," said Adam Pich, who began collecting bottles at local bars.

"Every time they purchase wine or beer from the liquor store they automatically pay a refund on a bottle."

When a bottle of wine or liquor is bought at the liquor store, the government includes a refund fee in the price. If the bottle is not recycled and returned to a bottle depot like the Bottle Shop, that little bit of change is lost from your pocket.

Over time, it can add up.

Pich said if you call his cell number anytime, he'll pick up your bottles and cans for free and give you 15 cents for liquor bottles and 75 cents for a dozen beer bottles or cans.

"The main thing is we're trying to keep all the bottles and glass out of our landfill," he said.

Every week, Pich ships his bottles to the south on Northwest Transport. It costs him $400 a semi-trailer load.

Pich figures that of all the liquor and beer bottles sold in Yellowknife only 38 to 43 per cent of them are returned for refund.

"Probably four of every 10 bottles are returned. All the rest ends up in the dump."

If anyone doesn't want their bottles but would like to make a donation to some local non-profit organization like Boy Scouts or Brownies, Pich said he would pick up the bottles and give the cash to the organization.

"It's convenient and you're not throwing money out the window," he said.

Pich hopes that more people recycle in the future.

He's also crossing his fingers and hoping government comes up with legislation that entitles customers to refunds on pop and juice bottles.