Bottle Bill Resource Guide

Name  The Newfoundland and Labrador Used Beverage Container Recycling Program (colloquially known as Greenback Trash to Cash Program), under Part II: Beverage Container Control Program, Waste Management Regulations 2003. [1]
Date Enacted 1996
Date Implemented Implemented 1997; last updated 2003.
Containers Covered All beverage containers 5L and under [2]
Beverages Not Covered
  • Milk and milk alternatives
  • Infant formula
  • Meal replacement beverages
  • Concentrated beverages
  • Any beverage in a refillable container
Amount of Deposit

Non-alcoholic beverages: 8¢ CAD / 5¢ CAD*

Alcoholic beverages (excluding wine and spirits): 8¢ CAD / 5¢ CAD*
Wine and spirits in plastic, glass, or tetra-pak containers: 20¢ CAD / 10¢ CAD*
Wine and spirits in all other containers: 8¢ CAD / 5¢ CAD*

*Consumers receive a partial refund of either 10¢ CAD or 5¢ CAD, depending on the type of beverage and container of each beverage. [2]

Reclamation System 55 main depots
Handling Fee 4.45¢ CAD [3]
Other Fees Part of the deposit (either 3¢  or 10¢, depending on the container) is retained by distributors in order to help pay for the program. [see "Amount of Deposit" section for more details.]
Unredeemed Deposits Retained by government organization (Multi-Materials Stewardship Board) and used to offset costs. Surplus is placed in provincial trust fund. [4]
Program Success

 

  2014-2015 [5]
2016-2017 [6]
2019-2020 [7]
2020-2021 [8]
Aluminum 64.0% 64.7% 70.8%  72.57%
Glass 62.2% 66.0% 76.2%  68.93%
PET 65.4% 65.2% 71.0%  77.01%
Bi-Metal 52.9% 52.9% -  82.74%
Other Plastic 37.5% 17.6% -  21.17%
Gable/Tetra Pak 44.7% 46.4% -  46.39%
Total 61.6% 61.6% 68.3% 70.38%

 

 

Details

The Used Beverage Container Recycling Program is regulated under the provisions of the Waste Management Regulations, made under the Environmental Protection Act. On January 15, 1997, the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) - a nine member board appointed by the Minister of the Department of Environment and Labour - launched the "Greenback Trash to Cash Program," as part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Waste Management Regulations with the goal of diverting beverage containers from landfills for recycling. This is a province-wide deposit-return system for the recovery and recycling of all ready-to-serve beverage containers (excluding domestic beer, milk, infant formulas and containers larger than 5 litres).

Consumers pay a 20 cent deposit on alcoholic beverage containers (except for beer) and a 8 cent deposit on non-alcoholic beverage containers. Consumers receive a refund of 10 cents and 5 cents respectively on the return of the containers. As of January 2021, 55 "Green Depots" have been established throughout the province to collect the containers and issue refunds. Each depot is a privately run business that generates revenues through beverage containers returned to the depot. In addition, some satellite units and sub-depots have been set up in remote areas to ensure people have access to recycling facilities.

Sometime before 2000, the MMSB contracted with NewBRI (Newfoundland Beverage Recovery Inc.) to run the day-to-day operations of the deposit-return system. [8] NewBRI was a board-run, non-profit organization consisting of representatives from the beverage industry. NewBRI was responsible for setting up the Green Depots, paying refunds and handling fees to depot operators, as well as overseeing the collecting, processing, and marketing of the materials. Unredeemed deposits and scrap values accrued through the program are used to maintain its operation. As of 2021, this partnership seems to be defunct, and the MMSB oversees the general administration of Green Depots.

Footnotes

[1] Waste Management Regulations, 2003, N.L.R. 59/03, s. 12.

[2] "What's Accepted." Multi-Materials Stewardship Board, Green Depot. Last Accessed August 2, 2022.

[3] Private Correspondence with Gordon Wall, Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. September 1, 2022.

[4] "Used Beverage Container Recycling Program." Multi-Materials Stewardship Board. Last Accessed August 2, 2022.

[5] "Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers: Global Overview 2016." CM Consulting Incorporated, May 25, 2017.

[6]  "Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers: Global Overview 2018." CM Consulting Incorporated, 2018.

[7] "Global Deposit Book 2020: An Overview of Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers." Reloop Inc. December 15, 2020.

[8] See Footnote 3.

[9] "Newfoundland’s Beverage Container Program." CM Consulting. Morawski, Clarissa. December 2000.

 

Last Updated on May 17, 2023.

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Contact - Newfoundland

Government

Department of Environment & Conservation
Toll-free (within Canada): 1 (800) 668-6767
Outside Canada : (819) 938-3860

Fontaine Building 12th floor
200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd
Gatineau QC  K1A 0H3
E: [email protected]

Organizations

Multi-Materials Stewardship Board
21 King’s Bridge Road
St. John’s, NL  A1C 3K4

General Inquiries:
P: (709) 753 0948
Toll-Free: 1 (800) 901-6672
E: [email protected]

Used Beverage Container Recycling Program Contact:
Gordon Wall
P: (709) 757 3686
E: [email protected]