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Yukon Territory

Name of program	~
Containers covered	All beverage containers except milk
Redemption rates	Non-refillable Bottle (beer, cider and coolers): 113.5% Refillable Bottles: 103.5% Liquor Containers>200ml: 99.3% 1-litre: 89.6% <1 litre: 78.5%, > OVERALL: 84.9% (includes refillable bottles)
Amount of deposit	See detailed description below.
Fees or taxes	Return-to-depot
Reclamation System	Retained by the Government (Territory)
Unredeemed Deposits	See table
Handling Fees	Voluntary depot drop-off for other recyclables available at bottle depots.
Complementary Recycling Programs	~
Legislation	Beverage Container Regulations [pdf,36.2kb] (found at http://environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/pdf/bcregs.pdf)

Details

There is no curbside system in the Yukon, so containers are returned to any of 22 depots or four Liquor Commission outlets for refund. The containers are then all shipped to Raven Recycling (it is also a depot) for processing. All scrap revenues accrue to Raven. The wholesaler initiates the deposit, collecting it from the retailer upon delivery of the containers.

The deposits are sent to the government-run Recycling Fund. Consumers pay the deposit when they purchase the container and get it back when they return the container to the depots. Each of the community depots receives the refund and a handling fee for the containers that they return to Raven. Raven then makes a claim to the government and is reimbursed for the refunds and handling fees. There is also a processing fee paid.  

Beverage Container Regulation , Y.O.I.C. 1992/136, Schedule A, as am by: Y. O.I.C. 1998/62	Deposit	Refund	Recycling Fund Fee
Non-alcoholic, <1L	10¢	5¢	5¢
Non-alcoholic, >1L	35¢	25¢	10¢
Liquor, Aluminum Cans	10¢	5¢	5¢
Liquor, Refillable Glass Containers	10¢	10¢	NIL
Liquor, Non-Refillable, 200mL-499mL	15¢	10¢	5¢
Liquor, Non-Refillable, over 500mL	35¢	25¢	10¢

The government keeps unredeemed deposits but is mandated to use the money only for the maintenance of the system or the promotion of recycling.  For example, there is a Recycling Club in the summer where children return containers for a refund plus recycling points.  Once they accumulate enough points they can redeem them for prizes.  Also, if the government felt that the depots were falling into disrepair they could allocate funds to undertake renovations. The difference between the deposit and refund is a "Recycling Fee," also collected by the government, and used to fund the system, i.e. paying refunds and handling fees.  Deposits, refunds and handling fees are detailed below.

Raven runs a “recycling club” for children aged 4-16. When “members” return recyclable material they receive the refund, and a coupon tracking one point per cent of refund, e.g. five points per pop can. They can then redeem those “points” for “prizes”. A $302 retail “Supercycle Hooligan Aluminum Bike” from Canadian Tire, for example, requires 102,700 points. Of course, this means, any child who earns those 102,700 points will have not only the new bike, but also $1,027 in cash.1

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