Contest Opens: April 6, 2026 Contest Closes: May 31, 2026
The Divert NS Community Heroes Bottle Drive Contest runs from April 6 to May 31, 2026. Winning teams will be announced the week of June 8, 2026.
Be a Community Hero and raise funds for your team, club, or school
Divert NS is awarding $10,000 in cash prizes to youth teams across Nova Scotia for organizing a bottle drive in their community! Prizes include:
1) One $3,500 provincial grand prize awarded to the team that collects the most refundable beverage containers in Nova Scotia.
2) Six $1,000 regional prizes awarded to the teams that collect the most refundable beverage containers in each region.
3) One $500 prize for the most creative team photo.
Money raised from your bottle drive—and any cash prizes you win—can support your team, club, or school initiatives such as:
- School supplies
- Sports team equipment
- Field trips
- Club activities
- Community programs
- Green team projects
- Fundraising initiatives
How to be a Community Hero
Organizing a bottle drive is a great way to fundraise for your team, club, or school while helping the environment.
It’s a win-win-win: You keep the refund from the beverage containers you collect, help keep Nova Scotia clean by recycling responsibly, and have the chance to win additional cash prizes from Divert NS.
Here’s how to participate:
1) Organize a team and plan your drive: Whether it’s your class, a sports team, club, or community youth group, get a team together and decide how you’ll collect refundable beverage containers. Some ideas include:
- Hosting drop-off days at your school or community space
- Collecting containers at community events such as sports tournaments or fundraisers
- Going door-to-door in your neighbourhood
If you choose to collect door-to-door, make sure to stay organized and safe, have an adult present, and let your community know you’re coming.
Please note: every team must have a parent/guardian, coach, teacher, or team leader (18+) acting as the team representative.
2) Contact your nearest Enviro-Depot: Before collecting containers, contact your nearest Enviro-Depot to let them know you are participating in the Divert NS Community Heroes Bottle Drive Contest. Confirm logistics such as when you will return your containers and what information they may need when you arrive.
3) Promote your bottle drive: Let your community know about your bottle drive—when it’s happening, where containers can be dropped off, and what your team is fundraising for. Use social media, posters, flyers, websites, or community groups to spread the word. Download the promotional kit that includes a poster template and sample social media posts.
4) Collect the containers: Check out this guide to learn what containers are accepted for refund at Enviro-Depots. Encourage your community to rinse containers and avoid crushing them.
Don’t forget to take an epic team photo to submit to the contest for a chance to win the Best Team Photo prize!
5) Return your containers to the Enviro-Depot: Bring all collected containers to your Enviro-Depot and collect your refund. Be sure to record the total number of containers collected for your contest submission.
6) Submit your bottle drive details Return to the Divert NS website and submit your bottle drive details for a chance to win cash prizes.
Download the full Contest Rules & Eligibility.
The Power is in Your Hands
Nova Scotia’s Deposit-Refund Program for beverage containers applies to all ready-to-serve beverage containers purchased in Nova Scotia with some exceptions. Divert NS manages the program and partners with independently and locally owned Enviro-Depots across the province, who collect beverage containers and pay the refunds on our behalf.
The benefits of recycling your beverage containers at an Enviro-Depot include:
- Preserves high quality resources (since the containers don’t mingle with other waste)
- Creates local jobs and stimulates the circular economy in Nova Scotia
- Rescues resources that could otherwise end up in landfill
- Provides the community an incentive to recycle
- Saves 22,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year
With your help, we can divert over 450 million beverage containers every year from landfills. The power is in your hands.