Marilyn Johnson

Marilyn Johnson began working as a sorter at Recycle Plus in 2004. Since then she has moved on to her current role as supervisor in the bottle depot.

Marilyn is normally in charge of a crew of twelve, although due to turnover issues, she is now working with a staff shortage. The wages are excellent at the bottle depot but she says many people think that the work is too hard. The competition for workers in Grande Prairie is a challenge, especially in the busy economy that is happening at this time.

Dealing with customers can sometimes be a challenge. Some will get angry if they end up waiting long for service. Marilyn tells them that the depot is “no place to come if they are in a big hurry” especially in the summertime, when the load is heavy. She has had to ban the odd customer from the depot for verbally mistreating the workers. Still, she doesn’t see the point in getting so upset over the wait times. “They’re only bottles. If you want to get in and out faster, sort them and count them at home.”

Training happens on a one to one basis. The new workers begin in the back and follow the process through to the front counter and at that point, they should know all they need to know about sorting.

The best part of the job for Marilyn is meeting the people and working with the staff. She says the clients she works with are very involved and capable in all areas of the work at Recycle Plus. She has come to know the clients and they always greet her when she meets them in the community.