by Tod Maffin
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For my day job, I run a social media engagement and moderation agency.
One of our clients is B.C.’s provincial beverage container recycling stewardship program, Return-It. When you comment on a post of theirs, or send them a DM, or tweet at them, it’s secretly my team on the other end of the screen replying.
Their organization, like a lot of similar groups in Canada, came from pretty humble beginnings.
A lot of the best ideas don’t start with government commissions or think tanks or whichever consultant Ottawa is paying $900 an hour this week. They start in places like church basements, borrowed storefronts, and kitchen tables.
Bottle-refund programs, recycling co-ops, and credit unions all began this way. They looked small, like a church bake sale. But they spread. And stuck. And now they’re baked into the way we live.
I thought I’d spend a bit of time this week reflecting on how small starts can make a big difference.
Bottle Refund Programs
In 1970, British Columbia decided to try something new: charge a nickel extra for your pop bottle, give it back when you return the empties. Simple. Low-tech. No blockchain required.
People thought it was a nuisance at first, of course, but it worked. Other provinces copied the idea, and before long we were all cashing in bags of bottles at sticky depots that smelled like a frat house on Sunday morning.
Today, Canadians return 76% of all beverage containers purchased (compared to the U.S. national average of 62%). That’s tens of billions of bottles and cans every year. And all because someone in B.C. figured out people will move mountains for a nickel.
T O D B I T
Alberta boasts the highest overall return rate at 85%, followed by Saskatchewan at 84% and British Columbia at 83%.
Recycling Before the Blue Box
In the 1970s, long before the city picked up your recycling at the curb, neighbourhood co-ops did it themselves. Volunteers collected newspapers, tin, and glass. They sorted it in garages and community centres.
It was clunky, inefficient, and about as glamorous as a basement Tupperware party. But it forced cities to pay attention. By the 1980s, the blue box rolled out, and suddenly Canadians were a “recycling nation.” All it took was a few stubborn neighbours who refused to let garbage pile up.
Credit Unions on the Kitchen Table
The first Canadian credit union started in Lévis, Quebec, in 1900. Alphonse Desjardins and some friends pooled their savings so regular working people could access loans without begging the big banks.
From that kitchen table, the idea spread. Small towns started their own credit unions. Farmers relied on them. Families trusted them.
Today, Canadian credit unions hold over $400 billion in assets. Not bad for something that started with a few people passing the hat.
The Canadian Pattern
Governments can do good things, but it’s not always our elected officials parachuting in with silver-bullet solutions. Often, it’s regular people spotting a problem, rolling up their sleeves, and building something themselves.
We’re not usually loud about it. We don’t put up billboards that scream “WORLD’S GREATEST RECYCLERS.” But we do the work, and eventually the rest of the country comes along.
It’s easy to feel powerless these days. Big problems—housing, health care, climate change—look impossible. Ottawa looks paralyzed half the time. The provinces aren’t much better.
But remember: bottle refunds, blue boxes, and credit unions all looked tiny at first. Laughably tiny. Yet they reshaped the way we live.
So when people say nothing changes, or that grassroots efforts don’t matter, that’s just wrong.
Change in this country doesn’t usually start with Parliament.
It starts with us.
Roughly how many times can an aluminum can be recycled without losing quality?
THE WEEKLY CROSS-CANADA POLL
Have Your Say!
When was the last time you returned empties?
Last Week’s Results
THE WEEK THAT WAS
The News You Didn’t Hear… But Should Have
There’s Still Good News Out There ❤
Piece of history: A GTA woman won the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship in the 60+ category, and she's the first Canadian to do it.
A Saskatchewan man celebrated his 70th birthday by diving into 70 lakes, travelling with his son, who runs SaskLakes.ca, an online directory for all things on the province's 100K+ lakes.
Total eclipse of the bird 🎵: A Vancouver wildlife photographer has won Bird Photographer of the Year for a striking 2024 shot capturing a frigatebird silhouetted against a total solar eclipse.
A Nova Scotia woman honoured her late husband’s love for the Toronto Blue Jays by bringing his ashes to the stands, fulfilling his dream of seeing the team play in person.
A new survey shows life after 50 is anything but over the hill:
Nearly half believe their most meaningful career move is still ahead
More than half report their sex lives are better than ever
Wild Things 🦝
Masked bandit busted: A Barrie, Ontario, homeowner called 911 about a possible break-in, only for four officers to arrive and find a raccoon eating apples in the garage.
An Icelandic tourist on an expedition in Labrador’s Torngat Mountains captured a rare sight he says he’ll never forget: a mother polar bear battling a black bear.
He Came, He Ate, He Conquered: Chunk, a 1110-pound brown bear with a broken jaw, has been crowned the winner of Fat Bear Week 2025.
Trade War: Canada vs U.S. 🥊
Ontario-based Algoma Steel will receive $500M from federal and provincial loans to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs.
GM is set to cut hundreds of jobs in Oshawa, Ontario next year as it shifts Silverado production to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where 250 temporary positions have been added.
The First Peoples 🪶
Winnipeg is opening a 24-hour safe space for Indigenous women at risk of violence, homelessness, or exploitation, with $3.5 million in provincial funding for Ikwe Widdjiitiwin Inc. to provide private rooms, counselling, cultural support, and a crisis response line.
A new licence plate honouring the Mi’kmaw community on P.E.I. was unveiled during a Treaty Day celebration in Charlottetown, giving drivers the option to recognize Indigenous people and their contributions to the province.
Highway 201 in southeast Saskatchewan, which runs through the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, has been given a dual designation to honour Cree leader Chief Kahkewistahaw, with new signage featuring both the highway number and his portrait.
Onion Lake Cree Nation is aiming to become a solar power pioneer by installing rooftop panels on 123 homes in its community of around 7000 people.
Science! 🔬
Alien starter pack: Scientists have discovered new types of organics in icy geysers on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, boosting the possibility that the ocean world could support life.
Astronomers say a mysterious “rogue” planet has been spotted consuming six billion tonnes of gas and dust every second, a rate so extreme it challenges the boundary between planets and stars.
As robots take on bigger roles in farming, the new AgRobotics Ontario Challenge is inviting high school students to pitch ideas for safer, faster, and more competitive farms, with selected schools receiving robotics kits, $500, and the chance to showcase prototypes at the 2026 London Farm Show.
Sports & Entertainment ⚾
No cap, The Toronto Blue Jays turned a nerve-wracking week around thanks to a lucky wardrobe change: Closer Jeff Hoffman suggested wearing the seldom-used white-panel caps, and after MLB approval, the team went on a winning streak.
Party foul: After clinching their seventh AL East title, a Blue Jays player was told he was partying a little too hard with the fans.
After more than four decades as the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, legendary announcer Joe Bowen is preparing to call his final season, with the team honouring him on Dec. 16 against the Chicago Blackhawks, the same team from his first broadcast in 1982.
Retrontario creator Ed Conroy’s new book, ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV, hits shelves October 14, chronicling more than 100 Toronto-produced children’s shows from 1950 to 2000.
Katie Pegg of Markham, Ontario, earned her first medal at her second Para Athletics World Championships, setting a personal best in women’s shot put.
Across Canada 📍
Last call: The people of Bala, Ontario, held a funeral for their only local Beer Store, closing its doors for the final time after 75 years.
Time change declared public enemy #1: An MP is calling for Canada to end the twice-yearly clock changes and plans to introduce legislation aimed at putting the practice behind the country for good.
A North Bay man has reportedly become the first Canadian convicted and jailed for Holocaust denial, after dozens of social media posts and videos promoting hate and violence against the Jewish community.
Canada has issued an update to its U.S. travel advisory, warning that Canadians, especially visa holders, U.S. permanent residents, and 2SLGBTQ+ travellers, may face heightened scrutiny at the border.
Airbnb says Vancouver's reputation is at risk due to a lack of FIFA accommodations, warning that hotel prices could soar over 200% and urging the province to introduce special event hosting rules.
Nova Scotia has introduced the Honouring Canadian Armed Forces Members Act, ensuring current and retired military members can wear their uniforms in all provincial buildings and spaces.
MY WORK THIS WEEK
In Case You Missed It
HOW CANADA’S COMPANIES ENDED THE WEEK
The Market
Royal Bank | |
TD Bank | |
Enbridge | |
ScotiaBank | |
Bank of Montreal | |
CP Rail | |
Shopify | |
Canadian Tire | |
Loblaws | |
Tim Hortons (RBI) | |
Dollarama | |
Rogers |
I write this newsletter because I care about this country, and I know you do too.
There’s no big media boss here. No hedge fund. Just one person with a keyboard, some facts, and a healthy dose of Canadian side-eye.
If that’s worth something to you, please consider chipping in if you can. 💚
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