History of Alberta's deposit law

  Alberta's Original Law 2008 Changes Current Law
Name of Law Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB)   Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB)
Date Implemented December 1, 1997 Nov 1, 2008 and June 1, 2009  
Beverages covered All beverages except milk1 (milk is under a voluntary recovery program through depots) Milk containers added (effective June 1, 2009) All beverages
Containers covered All sealed containers for accepted beverages below   All sealed containers
Amount of deposit <1 litres: 5¢
>1 litres: 20¢
beer: 10¢3

Up to 1 L: increased to 10¢
Over 1 L: increased to 25¢

Beer up to 1 litre: 10¢ (no change)
Beer over 1 litre: increased to 25¢
(deposit changes effective Nov. 1, 2008)

<1 litre: 10¢
>1 litre: 25¢

Beer <1 litre: 10¢
Beer >1 litre: 25¢
Handling Fees <500ml: 3¢
>500ml: 5¢
liquor containers: 5¢
imported beer: 3.55¢ 		  Fees range from 1.67 to 12 cents as specified in the administrative bylaws.
Fees or taxes None   None
Reclamation System 212 permitted province-wide depots.
Beer containers are collected through licencees, liquor stores and beer stores. 		  212 permitted province-wide depots.
Beer containers are collected through licencees, liquor stores and beer stores.
Unredeemed Deposits Retained by distributor/bottler   Retained by distributor/bottler
Program success 2007 return rates:
Glass (Refillable Beer): 94.0%
Glass (One-way Beer): 91.7%
Aluminum (Beer): 86.8%
Aluminum (Soft drink): 75.3%
Glass: 76.8%
Plastic: 66.1%
Bi-Metal: 57.7%
Polycoat: 56.9%
OVERALL: 76.0%2		  

2012 return rates:5
Overall – 82.4%
Aluminum – 87.7%
Bi-Metal – 78.8%
Glass – 89.9%
Glass (refillable) – 93.8%
Other plastics – 76.3%
Polycoat – 67.1%
Legislation Beverage Container Recycling Regulation through 2008   Beverage Container Recycling Regulation4

Footnotes

1. Beverage Container Recycling Regulation, Alta. Reg. 101/1997, ss. 3(2).

2. BCMB 2007 Annual Report, p. 10.

3. Beverage Container Recycling Regulation, Alta. Reg. 101/1997, para. 10(1)(b).

4. Alta. Reg. 101/1997

5. Source: BCMB Annual Report 2012, p. 25.