| Law Name | Dates | Beverages Covered | Containers Covered | Amount of Deposit | Handling Fee | Other Fees | Reclamation System | Unredeemed Deposits | Program Success | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Beverage container recycling program | Created in 1972, updated to create the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB) on December 1, 1997. | All ready-to-serve beverages; beer exemption repealed in 2001 and dairy exemption repealed in 2009. | All sealed containers | Up to 1 litre: 10¢ Over 1 litre: 25¢ |
Fees range from 3.178¢ to $1.00 in the administrative bylaws. | Container Recycling Fees: 0¢ to 12¢ (February 2019) | 220 permitted province-wide depots. Beer containers are collected through licencees, liquor stores and beer stores. |
Retained by distributor/bottler | 2009 return rates: Aluminum (soft drink) – 86.5% Aluminum (beer) – 90.5% Bi-Metal – 74.1% poly Coat – 56.4% Glass (non-refillable beer) – 94.6% Glass (refillable beer) – 97.1% Glass – 90.5% plastic – 74.4% Overall - 82% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Alberta legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| British Columbia | Industry Product Stewardship: Beverage Container Stewardship Program | Implemented 1970, current version implemented in 2004 | All ready-to-drink beverages except milk & milk substitutes | All containers for accepted beverages | Non-Alcohol:
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Not regulated by government. Varies by container type and retail store or depot agreement. | Not regulated by government. Determined by producers and their agencies. | Return to retail or depots | Retained by producers, or the producer agency, to cover program management including collection, recycling, and consumer awareness. | 2010 redemption rates: Encorp (Alcoholic and non-alcoholic): 80% Brewers Distributors Ltd (Refillable beer bottles and domestic beer cans): 94% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the British Columbia legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Manitoba | Waste Reduction and Prevention Act (WRAP) Packaging and Paper Stewardship Regulation |
Implemented in 2008 |
Beer only (all other beverage containers are collected through the blue box) | Beer containers | Beer cans and Bottles ≤ 1 Litre: 10¢ Beer cans and Bottles ≥ 1 Litre: 20¢ |
2.04¢ | None | Return-to-retail for beer only | Retained by beer distributor/bottler | Refillable beer: 95.5% Domestic beer cans: 74.4% PET: 37% Glass: 34% Aluminum cans: 31% Gable top/Aseptic: 26% Steel: 26% HDPE: 23% Overall Residential: 31% (via blue box) |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Manitoba legislation page | ||||||||||||
| New Brunswick | Beverage Containers Act | Implemented June 1, 1992 | All beverages except milk | All beverages except milk, milk products, and unpasteurized cider | 10¢ (5¢ refunded for non-refillable containers) Alcoholic beverages only: <500ml: 10¢ >500ml: 20¢ |
Refillable beer containers 2.89¢ All other empty beverages 4.059¢ |
Half-back system: half of the deposit is returned when containers are redeemed. | Return to licensed redemption centers | Returned to the Environmental Trust Fund along with the non-refunded half of the deposit to run environmental programs. | Container collection rates[4] Aluminum Cans:79% Non‐Refillable Glass:77% PET Bottles:81% Other Plastics:78% Other:47% TOTAL Non‐Refillables:75% Refillable Beer:102% TOTAL CONTAINERS :81% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the New Brunswick legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Newfoundland | Greenback Trash to Cash Program | Implemented 1997; Updated 2003 | All beverages except milk and refillable containers | All containers ≤ 5L capacity | Non-alcoholic: 8¢ Alcoholic: 20¢ |
4.25¢ | Like a half-back system: 3¢ is kept on the non-alcoholic bottles, a dime on the alcoholic. |
40 main depots, 16 sub-depots, and 20 mobile collection services | Retained by government organization (Multi-Materials Stewardship Board ) and used to offset costs. Surplus is placed in provincial trust fund. | Refillable beer: 95% Domestic beer cans: 54.6% OVERALL: 68% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Newfoundland legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Nova Scotia | Beverage Container Recycling Program | All beverages except milk | All containers for accepted beverages | Non-liquor: 10¢; Liquor: Refillable <1L: 10 ¢ Refillable >1L: 20 ¢ Non-refillable <500mL: 10 ¢ Non-refillable >500mL: 20 ¢ |
2.75¢ /unit | Half-back system: half of the deposit is returned when containers are redeemed | 83 province-wide depots | Retained by government organization (RRFB) and used to offset costs. Surplus is used for municipal curbside and depot programs. | Container recovery rates (2008) Aluminum Cans:84% Non‐Refillable Glass:84% PET Bottles:82% Other Plastics:27% Bi‐Metal:102% Gable/Tetra Pak:63% TOTAL Non‐Refillables:78% Refillable Beer:101% TOTAL Containers:83% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Nova Scotia legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Northwest Territories | Beverage Container Program | Implemented 2005; Updated in 2016 | All ready-to-serve drinks including milk (non-alcoholic beverages, wine, spirits, non-refillable beer, milk and liquid milk products) | Bottle, can, plastic cup or paperboard carton, a package made of metal, plastic, paper, glass or other material, or a combination of them | See detailed table. | 23 locally operated depots & 6 temporary satellite depots | Retained by NWT ENR |
Return Rate 2016: Aluminum cans 84% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Northwest Territory legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Ontario | Bag It Back, or Ontario Deposit Return Program | February 5, 2007 | All alcoholic beverages | All alcoholic beverage containers | Glass bottles, plastic bottles (PET), Tetra Pak containers, bag-in-box: Up to 630mL: 10¢ Over 630 mL: 20¢ Aluminum and steel containers up to 1L: 10¢ Over 1L:¢ |
None | Companies that introduce packaging and printed paper into Ontario’s consumer marketplace pay 50% of the funding of Ontario's municipal Blue Box programs. | Return to Beer Store only, LCBO does not take empties. | Retained by beer distributor/ bottler |
Recovery rates 2018: Overall: 81% (80% in 2017) |
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| Notes: | As of February 15, 2010, The Beverage Container Regulations under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act was amended to include all containers for milk and milk supplements excluding those with infant formula or milk products in containers less than 30ml. This page does not reflect those changes. | ||||||||||||
| Prince Edward Island | Beverage Containers Act | 2008 | All ready-to-drink beverages, excluding dairy and dairy substitutes | All sealed containers holding a qualifying beverage ≤ 5L |
Prince Edward Island operates a half-back system on all non-refillable beverage containers, where non-refillable containers will only have half of their deposit returned. Non-alcohol: CAD$0.10 / CAD$0.05 Wine & spirit ≤ 500ml: CAD$0.10 / CAD$0.05 Wine & spirit 501ml to 5l: CAD$0.20 / CAD$0.10 Beer cans & bottles ≤ 500ml: CAD$0.10 / CAD$0.05 Beer cans & bottles ≥ 501ml: CAD$0.20 / CAD$0.10 |
4.05¢, paid by distributor or its agent to the beverage container depot | None | Licensed beverage container depots | Kept by state | 2016-2017 Return Rates: Total: 80.4% Aluminum Cans : 86.9% Glass : 76.6% PET: 77.7% Gable/Tetra Pak: 47.7% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Prince Edward Island legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Québec | Agreement Relating to the Consignment, Recovery & Recycling of Non-Refillable (Soft Drink/Beer) Containers | Implemented 1984 | All non-refillable beer and carbonated soft drinks | All containers for accepted beverages |
Soft drink containers & beer cans ≤ 450ml: CAD$0.05 Non-refillable beer > 450ml: CAD$0.20 |
2¢ "Return Incentives" paid to retailers from unredeemed deposits | 15¢ fee, paid by distributors to Boissons Gazeuses Environment (BGE) to cover administrative costs. |
Return-to-retail | Retained by Recyc-Québec and distributors/ bottlers to help cover handling fees. |
2016 Redemption Rates Total Return Rate: 70.6% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Quebec legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan | Beverage Container Collection and Recycling Program | August 1, 1973 | All ready-to-serve beverage containers | Refillable bottles, cans, and other paper or plastic beverage containers. One-way containers are exempt |
Metal < 1l: CAD$0.10 Metal ≥1l: CAD$0.25 Glass ≤ 300ml: CAD$0.10 Glass 301ml to 999ml: CAD$0.20 Glass ≥ 1l: CAD$0.40 Plastic <1l: CAD$0.10 Plastic ≥1l: CAD$0.25 Juice boxes / gable top cartons: CAD$0.05 |
Aseptic & Polycoat: 3 ¢ Aluminum cans: 5¢ Plastic containers: 6¢ Glass containers: 7¢ Collectors of milk jugs and cartons are provided with a "guaranteed salvage price" of $400/tonne of baled plastic milk jugs and $150/tonne of baled milk cartons. |
Environmental Handling Charge or "EHC" Aluminum/tin cans: 7¢ Plastic bottles/jugs: 8¢ Cartons and juice boxes (aseptic & polycoat): 5¢ One-way glass bottles: 9¢ Refillable glass beer bottles: n/a |
Not-for-profit SARCAN redemption depots | Retained by province and used to pay for the program through SARCAN annual operation contract fee. Surplus is placed in provincial general revenues and helps fund extended recycling programs |
2017 Return Rate Aluminum: 92% 2014 system Results |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Saskatchewan legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Yukon Territory | Beverage Container Regulation | 1991 | All beverages except milk and milk substitutes | All beverage containers for accepted beverages |
When purchasing beverages, the consumer pays a deposit, which includes a refundable portion and a nonrefundable RFF. Containers ≥ 750ml: CAD$0.35 / CAD$0.25 Containers < 750ml: CAD$0.10 / CAD$0.05 Milk and milk substitutes (all sizes): CAD$0.10 / CAD$0.05 |
CAD$0.025 – CAD$0.075 |
Recycling Fund Fee (RFF): CAD$0.05 – CAD$0.10 Processing Fee (PF): Paid to processing facilities for each container received (N/A) |
Return-to-depot | Retained by the Government (Territory) |
Container Collection Rates: TOTAL Containers : 78% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Yukon Territory legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Nunavut | Nunavut is yet to develop any sort of program. | ||||||||||||