O’Connell’s Recycling: A Family Business Built on Service
Every year, Nova Scotians are encouraged to review and nominate their favorite Enviro-Depot for the Depot of the Year Awards, which celebrate Enviro-Depots that go above and beyond when it comes to customer experience, employee relations, and community support. Once the nominations are received, a panel of judges reviews the nominations and chooses the winners who meets the established criteria.
In November 2025, Divert NS honoured O’Connell’s Sackville Recycling with the Large Enviro-Depot of the Year award for achieving the gold standard in recycling services. From their engaging and welcoming staff to their clean and organized space to their tireless dedication to community endeavors, O’Connell’s has created an experience customers drive out of their way to enjoy.
We recently caught up with the owner, Terry O’Connell, to learn more about the history of this successful operation, which is now becoming a third-generation business.
O’Connell’s Recycling has evolved through several chapters, beginning with Terry O’Connell’s father, Brad, who first owned and operated the business. As the operation grew and navigated changing circumstances, including competition in the local market, it moved locations before ultimately returning to its original site. When Terry took over, he brought the business back to its roots, where it continues today as O’Connell’s Recycling.
“It’s good to have competition because it keeps you sharp,” Terry says of the early days. Competition played a key part in their success by challenging them with finding ways to improve service and customer flow. Offering good service has always been a key focus at O’Connell’s. “We have a high-volume depot,” says Terry, “and if you want to keep it a high-volume depot, you better give good service.”
Over the years, O’Connell’s has improved efficiency and traffic flow by adding more lanes, allowing customers to stay in their cars, and incentivizing customers to use the pre-counted express lane by offering them a ballot to enter for a free barbeque. These improvements kept operations running smoothly and customers coming back.
Another key to their success is their dedicated staff, praised by customers as some of the friendliest and most hard‑working they have ever encountered. Many team members have been with the business for decades, with years of service ranging from 12 to 41— longevity that one employee points to as a clear indicator of strong morale.
O’Connell’s has also earned a reputation as a strong community partner, supporting more than one hundred bottle drives each year. “We do a lot of bottle drives and service all kinds of areas,” says Terry. “Some weekends, we’ll have three trucks out at different venues. Most places don’t specialize in that, but we do.” The depot also offers several trailers that can be dropped off at designated locations, making it easier and more convenient for sports teams and community groups to collect and return bottles.
Now after completing extensive renovations and development of the business, Terry has slowly been taking a step back and allowing his son, Chris, to take on a larger role. Chris is set to purchase the business within the next year and continue the family recycling legacy.
Next time you are in Sackville, NS, why not bring a load of refundable containers and experience the friendly, efficient service at O’Connell’s.
Top Picture Caption: Back row, left to right: Stacy Breau, Chris O'Connell, Terry O'Connell, Brad O'Connell, Dale Lyon
Front: Paula O'Connell, Ruth O'Connell
