Frequently asked questions
Did we leave a question unanswered? Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions about the use of BottlePal.
General
BottlePal is a recycling app that you can download free of charge from App Store or Google Play. With BottlePal you can donate and collect empty deposit bottles and cans.
A BottleBag is any standard 40 litre bag filled with empty and returnable deposit bottles and/or cans. A bag fits approximately 15 bottles and/or cans. The amount of containers in the bag is dependant on the size of the containers and may be more or less than 15 containers. A single BottleBag has a deposit value of approximately 2,50€. This value is also dependant on the number of containers and the deposit value of individual containers. Please note that the minimum amount to donate is a single BottleBag filled with containers. You don’t need to count the amount of the bottles or the deposits, just make sure that the bottlebag is full.
With the BottlePal app you can donate deposit containers that are returnable in Finland. The containers must be intact and the barcodes must be readable.
As a donor or collector your first name is only shown when you become a bottlepal with donor/collector.
You may return all deposit containers in Lidl due to their own recycling system for PET-plastic containers. Because PET-plastic containers from Lidl are not part of the PALPA system, return stations in other stores will not reimburse you for the deposit for Lidl containers. Lidl cans you can be returned to any store but if you BottleBag contains Lidl plastic bottles, remember to mark the space.
Also when collecting bottles, this feature lets you know whether you should return the contents of the BottleBag at your nearest Lidl. This way you’ll be reimbursed for all the containers within the BottleBag.
You’ll receive notifications about available BottleBags by turning notifications on both within the app and in your phone’s settings. You can also set your address and and the desired distance range for notifications in the app settings.
Specified collection point means the exact location of the BottleBags so the collector can find them easily: main door, beside the door to the stairwell, apartment building’s trash sorting point etc. If you want you can also donate the BottleBags straight from your home. Remember to tell all necessary information for example. stair, door code etc.
There are two different colors of bottles because donor’s own bottles are blue. Orange bottles are free to be collected.
If you want to delete your account you can contact us at asiakkuudet@bottlepal.fi
Donating
1. Download the BottlePal app from App Store or Google Play free of charge and register.
2. To donate any leftover bottles from the location of your choice please let us know the following:
a. Number of BottleBags
b. If your BottleBag includes containers from Lidl please mark the appropriate space
c. The collection time range that suits you, e.g. 12PM-4PM
d. The address for the collection
e. Specify the collection point of the BottleBags, e.g. main door
3. Donating bottles is FREE! 🙂
4. Wait for a collector to reserve your bottles
5. You’ll receive a notification once the collector has reserved your donation. The collector will set a collection time for your bottles within the time range you have provided.
6. Confirm the collection if it suits you
7. Take your BottleBags to the agreed location on time.
8. Enjoy your bottle-free day!
No. Donating bottles is free. 🙂
In BottlePal you can only donate deposit containers at the moment. Containers without deposits you can recycle through glass and metal recycling point. Most of the bottles bought from Alko have deposits but if you are not sure if a container has a deposit or not you can always check it from https://extra.palpa.fi/pantillisuus. You can donate bottles from Alko as long as you are sure that they have deposits. 🙂
The donor and the collector don’t necessarily need to meet each other. BottleBags don’t need to be picked up from the front door. Instead, the donor chooses the specified collection point, e.g. behind the garbage shed etc. The collector picks up the BottleBags from the specified location at the agreed time.
Yes you can! Tell all the necessary information to specified collection point so collector can find to your door easily. 🙂
As you donate BottleBags you may choose a time window for the collection, e.g. 2PM-5PM. The person reserving the donation chooses a time for the collection within this time window. Please take the BottleBags to the return station point as close to the agreed time as possible.
You may cancel or modify your donation as long as it hasn’t been reserved yet. After your donation has been reserved and you have confirmed it, cancellation is no longer possible. To ensure successful donations, please set a time window that is reasonable for yourself.
We’re sorry to hear that. You can renew the donation just by setting a new collection time. You can also donate the bottles later. 🙂
We’re sorry to hear that. You can make a new donation right away. If you don’t have time to renew the donation, please remove the bottlebags back from the specified collection point and donate them again later. 🙂
When you donate bottles through the BottlePal app you’ll get a free service and collector gets the deposits when returning bottles to the bottle returning point. You will get rid of the bottles and have a peaceful mind by doing good. Who wouldn’t want to do good by helping nature and others! 🙂
With BottlePal you can only donate deposit containers. Containers without deposits should also be recycled and you can take them for example to your nearest recycling point.
Collecting
1. Download the BottlePal app from the App Store or Google Play free of charge and register.
2. Choose a donation from either the map or the list and reserve it for yourself
3. You’ll be given a time window for the collection, e.g. 12PM-6PM. Choose a time within the time window that suits your schedule, e.g 2PM.
4. Your collection will be confirmed by the person making the donation. After the confirmation you’ll be charged 0,50€ per BottleBag. We’ll charge your card directly.
5. You’ll be given the precise location of the BottleBags.
6. Pick up the BottleBags from the location at the agreed time. Please be punctual. 🙂
7. Take the bottles to the bottle return. The money is all yours!
The approximate value of a single BottleBag is 2,50€. We’ll charge you 0,50€ per a BottleBag so you’ll make a profit of 2,00€ on each bag you collect.
BottlePal will charge you 0,50€ per BottleBag. If you pay with a credit card you will be charged directly.
The donor and the collector don’t necessarily need to meet each other. BottleBags don’t need to be picked up from the front door. Instead, the donor chooses the specified collection point, e.g. behind the garbage shed. The collector picks up the BottleBags from the notified location at the agreed time.
We’re sorry to hear that. The Donor may have forgotten to bring the BottleBags to the specified collection point or they are just running late. You can also contact our customer Service through the app so we can remind the donor to be more punctual in the future. 🙂
We’re sorry to hear that. Please contact our customer service through the app so we can take a closer look at what happened. 🙂
You may cancel a collection after you’ve reserved the BottleBags as long as the donor hasn’t confirmed it. After the donor has confirmed the collection cancellation is no longer possible. To ensure successful collections, please choose a time that fits your own schedule.
Deposits are taxable income and it’s collector’s responsibility to report their income from collecting the bottles in their personal taxation.
Payment
With any Visa or Mastercard payment card.
Other
We follow European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. More information you can find from our privacy statement.
If these questions didn’t help you, you can contact our customer service through the website or the app or send us email at info@bottlepal.fi. 🙂 We are happy to help!
If you want to get notified by messages about new bottles near you, please turn on notifications on settings menu.
You can see all available bottles on the map and also by tapping the right corner of the map view. Then you’ll see a list of bottles available right now. So the map and the bottlelist are a same thing. You can also set on filters if you want; distance, date and time. If these filters are on you will only see bottles according to the filters.