| 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 | Implemented December 1, 1997 | All beverages | All sealed containers | Up to 1 litre: 10¢ Over 1 litre: 25¢ |
Fees range from 1.67 to 12 cents as specified in the administrative bylaws. | None | 212 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 Product Category | 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 | Manitoba Product Stewardship Plan (MPSP) | Beer only (all other beverage containers are collected through the blue box) | Beer containers | Beer: 10¢ | None | 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| Notes: | The program described on this page has been superseded by a new program, implemented in 2010: the Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Regulation. Until this page can be updated with current information, please see Who Pays What 2010 [pdf], a report describing all the beverage container recycling laws in Canada. | ||||||||||||
| New Brunswick | Beverage Containers Act | Implemented June 1, 1992 | All beverages except milk | All beverage containers under 5L | 10¢ (5¢ refunded for non-refillable containers) Alcoholic beverages only: <500ml: 10¢ >500ml: 20¢ |
Refillable beer containers 2.89¢ All other empty beverage 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 | All beverages except milk | All beverage containers except fountain cups, or those with a greater than 5L capacity | Non alcoholic: 8¢ Alcoholic: 20¢ |
Like a half-back system: 3¢ is kept on the non-alcoholic bottles, a dime on the alcoholic. |
37 province-wide depots and 50 satellite depots | 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-refillabler <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 | All ready to drink beverages except milk | Bottle, can, plastic cup or paperboard carton or a package made of metal, plastic, paper, glass or other material, or a combination of them | See detailed table. | Return to one of 18 government depots; Now also 26 community depots |
Retained by NWT | Program new. Since beginning in November 2005, by March 15 2006 over 6 million containers had been returned. Original estimates were that 25 million containers were disposed of every year. Some basic number crunching shows an approximate 72% recovery rate. (6x3 / 25) |
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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 | Redemption rates May 2010 - Apr 2011:
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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 | All ready-to-drink beverages, excluding dairy and dairy substitutes | All sealed containers holding a qualifying beverage | Liquor
Up to 500mL: 10¢ Over 500mL: 20¢ (fully refundable for refillable containers, 5¢ refundable for recyclable containers) |
3.6¢, paid by distributor or its agent to the beverage container depot | Licensed beverage container depots | Kept by state | 2008 container collection rates Aluminum Cans :73% Non‐Refillable Glass :82% PET Bottles :84% Other Plastics : Bi‐Metal : Gable/Tetra Pak :44% Other :44% TOTAL Non‐Refillables :74% Refillable Beer :101% TOTAL CONTAINERS :81% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Prince Edward Island legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Québec | Implemented 1984 | All nonrefillable beer and carbonated soft drinks | All containers for accepted beverages | Soft drinks containers: 5¢ Beer aluminium cans <450ml: 5¢ Beer aluminium cans >450ml: 20¢ Beer bottles <450ml: 10¢ Beer bottles >450ml: 20¢ |
2cent "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 | 2007 Redemption Rates Non-refillables Soft drinks containers Non refillables Beer containers |
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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 beverages except milk (milk is under a voluntary recovery program through depots) | Refillable bottles, cans, and other paper or plastic beverage containers. One-way containers are exempt | Aseptic: 5 ¢ , Polycoat: 5 ¢ , Metal cans<1 litre: 10 ¢ , metal cans>1 litre: 20 ¢ , plastic bottles <1 litre: 10 ¢ , plastic bottles>1 litre: 20 ¢ , non-refillable glass <300ml:$1, non-refillable glass: 300ml-1 litre: 20 ¢ , non-refillable glass>1 litre: 40 ¢ |
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" Aseptic: $.03 Polycoat: $.03 Metal cans: $.05 Plastic bottles: $.06 Non-refillable glass: $.07 |
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 | 2008 collection rates (nonrefillables) Overall: 87% Aluminum: 91% Glass: 89% PET: 82% Other Plastic: 53% Bi-metal: 91% Gabletop/TetraPak: 55% Refillable Beer: 94% |
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| Notes: | For references and sources, see the Saskatchewan legislation page. | ||||||||||||
| Yukon Territory | All beverages except milk and milk substitutes | All beverage containers for accepted beverages | 10–35¢, partially refundable (nonrefundable portion goes to Recycling Fund) | Paid to depots from Recycling Fund | Processing facilities receive processing fees, paid from Recycling Fund | Return-to-depot | Retained by the Government (Territory) | Container collection rates Aluminum Cans:81% Non‐Refillable Glass:87% PET Bottles:96% Other Plastics:64% Bi‐Metal:53% Gable/Tetra Pak:50% TOTAL Non‐Refillables:76% Refillable Beer:94% 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. | ||||||||||||