Contacts
Government
Beverage Container Management System
Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry
11 Kent Street
P.O. Box 2000, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A7N8
(902) 368-5474
www.beveragecontainers.pe.ca
Organizations
Island Waste Management Corporation
Phone: (902)-894-0330
info@iwmc.pe.ca
www.iwmc.pe.ca
Prince Edward Island
| Name of Program / Law | Beverage Containers Act |
|---|---|
| Administering Agency | Ministry of Environment, Energy and Forestry |
| Containers Covered | All sealed containers holding a qualifying beverage |
| Beverages Covered | All ready-to-drink beverages, excluding dairy and dairy substitutes |
| Deposits | Liquor
(fully refundable for refillable containers, 5¢ refundable for recyclable containers) |
| Handling Fees | .036¢, paid by distributor or its agent to the beverage container depot |
| Other Fees / Taxes | None |
| Reclamation System | Licensed beverage container depots |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Kept by state |
| Link to Legislation | Beverage Containers Act |
| Legislation History | Changes to PEI's deposit law |
Details
Prince Edward Island has a stable deposit system for beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks. Returns flow back to retailers and depots alike. Since 1977 non-refillable containers for beer and soft drinks have been banned in the province. Wine and liquor must be sold in recyclable containers. 4 However, that law was repealed in 2008. Now all beverages must be sold in refillable containers, subject to a partially refundable deposit. Beverages may not be sold if they are connected by plastic rings or any other connecting device which is not biodegradable or photodegradable
Non-alcoholic beverages
No entity may sell a beverage in Prince Edward Island until the distributor and the type of beverage has been approved by the Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry, and a plan exists for the refilling or recycling of the containers. Distributors must be registered under the Act. The retailer pays the manufacturer a deposit and recoups it on sale. The retailer gets the deposit from the consumer.
Empty containers may only be returned to licensed depots (Beverage containers may still be collected by Island Waste Management Corporation, but they are not eligible for a refund). Anyone may apply for a license to operate a beverage container depot. For every container returned, the depot receives a refund and handling fee from the manufacturer. Distributors or their agents may collect the containers from the depots for recycling.
Unredeemed deposits accrue to the state, to fund the deposit system and environmental programs. Scrap revenues on wine and spirits containers accrue to the Liquor Commission.
Beer System
Beer must be sold in refillable containers. Beer is sold in liquor stores but must be returned to depots. Wine and spirits are also sold through the Liquor Commission but can be returned either to the Liquor Commission stores or depots. Customers receive the minimum required refund when containers are returned to the depots. Depot operators redeem the containers at the Liquor Commission for their full refund. The Liquor Commission markets the scrap materials.
Wine and liquor
Wine must be sold in recyclable bottles.5 The bottles may be subjected to a ‘half-back’ deposit system of 10¢ with 5¢ back, for less than 500mL and twice that for any bottle larger.6
Footnotes
2. Litter Control Regulations, P.E.I. Reg. EC697/91, s. 3.
3. Litter Control Regulations, P.E.I. Reg. EC697/91, ss. 5(a).
4. Litter Control Regulations, P.E.I. Reg. EC697/91, ss. 2(1).
5. Litter Control Regulations, P.E.I. Reg. EC697/91, ss. 6(1).
6. Ibid., ss. 6(2).
