Bottle depot pickup across NW Calgary.

How depot pickup works

A bottle depot in Alberta refunds the deposit on every eligible container. The catch is the trip: loading the car, the drive, the line, the count. A pickup service does that part for you and brings the refund back.

The Empties Guy runs a weekly route across northwest Calgary. You text or book online, leave the bags by the door, and we handle the depot. $0 fees, and you get an e-transfer for your full refund.

Why not an app?

App-based pickup services exist in Calgary. They work, and they charge for the convenience. We chose a text thread instead: nothing to download, nothing to sign up for, and the person replying is the person driving.

Locally owned, northwest Calgary based, and answerable by text at any hour.

Businesses and organizations in the northwest

Restaurants, offices, condo buildings, schools and sports clubs generate more empties than any household. We leave bins, pick up weekly on a set day, and send a statement your bookkeeper or treasurer can file.

Communities we pick up in

Our northwest route currently includes

• Sage Hill
• Kincora
• Nolan Hill
• Sherwood
• Evanston
• Panorama Hills
• Hidden Valley
• Hamptons
• Edgemont
• Citadel
• Royal Oak
• Rocky Ridge
• Tuscany
• Arbour Lake
• Ranchlands
• Silver Springs
• Scenic Acres
• Dalhousie
• Varsity
• Brentwood
• Charleswood
• Collingwood
• Hawkwood
• Bowness
• Montgomery
• Country Hills
• Sandstone Valley
• MacEwan Glen
• Beddington Heights
• Huntington Hills
• Thorncliffe
• Glacier Ridge