Binners will have to lug their bottles farther from the Downtown Eastside when United We Can moves to make room for a housing development, but operators say the extra travel will be worth it for those who depend on the recycling depot.
City council will vote next week whether to grant non-profit United We Can a 10-year lease at city-owned 455 Industrial Ave., two kilometres from its longtime 39 East Hastings St. home that will be taken over by Atira to build 169-units of social and market housing.
The recycling depot employs about 120 people with barriers to employment, supports about 700 recyclers daily and processes about 60,000 beverage containers daily.