The 2025 Return-It School Contest Results Are In
As students across BC enjoy their summer break, Return-It is excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Return-It School Program Story Contest.
For 25 years, the Return-It School Program has provided environmental education, motivating students to embrace recycling and its significant impact on the environment. Annually, students from across British Columbia channel their creativity and commitment to environmental stewardship into presenting their recycling success stories, competing for the $5,000 cash prize. The contest aims to inspire and empower future leaders on the importance of recycling and how sustainability can be a part of whichever path they take in the future.
“It is incredible to see youth building community around good stewardship practices and we are super appreciative of the role Return-It plays in community outreach and education,” said Honourable Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment & BC Parks. “Thanks to all the entries and the educators who undertook this initiative.”
The 2024/2025 school year was marked by inspiring narratives that highlighted the commitment and enthusiasm for recycling within schools throughout British Columbia. We would like to say a big thank you to every school that submitted their recycling story and congratulate the four schools that emerged as winners this year.
Elementary Category:
- First Place: Maaqtusiis Elementary (Ahousat)
- Maaqtusiis Elementary earned first place with their creative method of getting containers to the bottle depot from their remote location.
- Second Place: Forest Grove Elementary (Burnaby)
- Forest Grove Elementary secured a close second place by collecting an incredible number of containers and planning some amazing trips as a result.
High School Category:
- First Place: British Columbia Christian Academy (Port Coquitlam)
- British Columbia Christian Academy won first place with their recycling initiative which demonstrated great teamwork and got the community involved.
- Second Place: Columneetza Junior Secondary (Williams Lake)
- Columneetza Junior Secondary earned a well-deserved second place, with students getting local businesses involved and putting the funds raised towards a fitness program.
Read on to discover more about our inspiring winners.
1st Place, Elementary
Maaqtusiis Elementary
Maaqtusiis Elementary’s Grade 5 class in Ahousaht, a remote First Nations community on Flores Island (north of Tofino), launched a bottle drive to fund their first-ever class field trip. Faced with the high costs of travel—including a $1,000 round-trip by water taxi to Tofino—they set a $5,000 fundraising goal to ski at Mount Washington.
Despite challenges like transporting refundables off-island, the class collected 12,161 containers, raising $1,208.20 through the Return-It Express & GO station in Tofino. Students sorted donations, collected littered cans, and set up recycling points at the local medical centre and school.
The effort paid off. Every student received ski rentals, lift passes, and lessons. The trip sparked a love for outdoor activity—and for recycling. Now, the class plans to continue recycling to fund a flower patch, while staff explore expanding the initiative school-wide. Their story is one of creativity, resilience, and community-driven impact.
"We are so honoured that Return It has recognized all the hard word that the students and I did this year! This contest will help expand recycling further in our school and community, and support us with having more field trip opportunities. We already have plans to use these funds to start composting and collecting more types of recyclable materials. Thank you!" - Oliver Conn, Grade 5 Teacher
2nd Place, Elementary
Forest Grove Elementary
Forest Grove Elementary, a small rural school near 100 Mile House, has built an impressive recycling program that supports both student learning and community connection. Through the Return-It program, the school collected over 214,000 containers from April 2024 to April 2025, earning $21,266.04—funds that directly enable field trips, classroom resources, and student programs.
With just 91 students from grades K–7, the entire school community contributes. Grade 6/7 students sort bottles weekly as part of a leadership program, while parent volunteers manage logistics, transport, and additional sorting. Community members donate containers at the local transfer station, making it a true group effort.
The impact is clear: students have attended ski trips, environmental education days, and even a Vancouver year-end trip—all thanks to recycling. The program also supports a daily breakfast program, hot lunches, and essential school supplies. Forest Grove’s model not only reduces waste—it empowers students with hands-on lessons in responsibility, teamwork, and sustainability.
"What a privilege it is to witness such an exceptional recycling program out of our small but mighty school. Our students take such pride in what they achieve through this lucrative program. Thank you Return-It for the acknowledgement and reward for another great year of recyclables! We challenge all other Return-It schools to attempt beating our +200,000 paid recyclable yearly returns...until next year!" - Jess Drennan, CPAC Treasurer
1st Place, Secondary
British Columbia Christian Academy
BC Christian Academy, located in Port Coquitlam, turned its annual bottle drive into a meaningful, school-wide initiative in January 2025. Over two days, students, staff, families, and community members worked together across three campuses to collect refundable beverage containers while promoting environmental responsibility.
The initiative was more than a fundraiser—it became a hands-on learning opportunity. Grade 9 students conducted a neighbourhood bottle collection, developing communication and leadership skills. Younger students helped with sorting and learned the value of teamwork. High school students assisted with setup and cleanup, while parents offered support through the school’s volunteering portal.
In total, the school collected 7,977 refundable beverage containers, raising $1,026 for student programs. Encouraged by the success, the school continued its efforts on Earth Day by sending home pre-labelled Return-It bags, making ongoing recycling easy for families.
The project strengthened the school community and taught students the impact of collective action. By working together, BC Christian Academy showed how small actions can lead to meaningful change for both the environment and the people involved.
"While the final numbers reflected a successful collection, the true impact of this initiative went far beyond dollars and bottles. It instilled the values of hard work, teamwork, and servant leadership in our students. It strengthened connections across our campuses and deepened our ties with the broader community. And it reminded every participant—student, parent, and staff alike—that when we come together with purpose and unity, remarkable things can happen.” - Ana Enduma, Community Engagement Coordinator, BC Christian Academy
2nd Place, Secondary
Columneetza Junior Secondary
Columneetza Junior Secondary in Williams Lake has turned recycling into a long-term investment in student wellness. For over six years, the school has collected refundable beverage containers to fund improvements to its weight room, as part of its focus on improving physical and mental health and wellbeing.
This initiative began with student education and the installation of Return-It collection bins throughout the school. Teachers introduced fun competitions and presentations to build interest, while the Parent Advisory Council and local businesses pitched in by promoting the program and donating recyclables. Community contributions have helped the school purchase and maintain gym equipment that supports after-school fitness programs and sports teams.
In the 2023/2024 school year alone, Columneetza collected 15,661 containers and raised $1,563.80. The upgraded facility has become a key part of student life, fostering not just fitness but also discipline and teamwork.
Columneetza continues to build on this success, aiming to expand its impact and inspire others to follow their model of recycling for a more sustainable community.
"This contest was a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and commitment to sustainability. It's been inspiring to see them take the lead in our school's recycling initiative and engage with the local community to make a difference." - Tanner Gainer, PHE Teacher, Columneetza Junior Secondary School
Thank you to every school that participated this year and shared with us their initiative-full school year!
We hope all students across BC enjoy a safe and well-deserved summer break and that the recycling habits learned throughout the year continue during their time off. We look forward to next year’s Return-It School Program and the new and exciting stories from the next school year.
