| Name | Waste Reduction and Prevention Act (WRAP) Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Regulation (MR 195/2008) |
| Date Implemented | 2008 |
| Date Enacted | 2010 |
| Beverages Covered | Beer only (all other beverage containers are collected through the blue recycling box) |
| Containers Covered | All empty beer containers |
| Amount of Deposit |
Beer cans and Bottles <2L: 10¢ CAD |
| Reclamation System | Return-to-retail for beer only |
| Handling Fee |
For every dozen bottles/cans: 41.0¢ CAD For each PET container: 13.5¢ CAD [1] |
| Other Fees | None |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Retained by beer distributor/bottler |
| Program Success |
Overall return rate: BDL Deposit Return Rate (2016): [2] BDL Deposit Return Rate (2014): [3] CBCRA Deposit Return Rate (2014): |
| Complementary Recycling Programs |
About 94% of the population has access to multi-material curbside recycling, as part of the greater stewardship regulation. See the section below titled "Non-Alcohol/Non-Dairy System (Non-deposit system)." |
Details
In Manitoba, beverage producers have been given the option of setting up a deposit-return system or paying a 2 cent per container levy. All except beer producers have chosen the latter option.
Beer System (Deposit System)
In Manitoba, beer is sold only in deposit-bearing containers and is thus exempt from the product stewardship levy. The Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation administers all liquor and beer sales in the province. Formerly, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission administered the program before its merger with the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation in 2013.
Packaged beer is retailed primarily through cold beer outlets attached to hotels but beer is also sold through the government owned liquor stores. Empty containers may only be returned to hotel beer vendors and select rural liquor vendors for redemption. [4] A Brewers' association manages deliveries of products to all retailers and recovery of the empty containers from the beer outlets. Retailers are paid a handling fee to manage the collection of beer containers they receive.
Non-Alcohol/Non-Dairy System (Non-deposit system)
| Containers covered | All non-deposit, non-dairy beverage containers |
| Redemption rates | Overall (2017): 70% (Unverified by third party sources) [5] |
| Amount of levy | 0.01 to 0.03 cents |
| Return Rates | ~35% |
| Number of Curbside programs | over 150 |
The Manitoba Product Stewardship Plan (MPSP) was implemented in January 1995 and is funded by a 2 cent per beverage container Waste Reduction and Prevention (WRAP) levy. The per container levy is applied to all non-deposit, non-dairy beverage containers sold in the province. The levy supports recycling and waste reduction efforts in the province, thus, producers fund 80% of municipal recycling costs. The program was administered by the Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation (MPSC), a statutory corporation, from 1995 to 2010. The 'WRAP levy' is charged to all beverage producers and remitted to the Manitoba Product Stewardship Corporation (MPSC). The MPSC was a non-profit, multi-stakeholder-run organization mandated to establish waste reduction programs for designated materials.
The Manitoba Product Stewardship Plan (MPSP) was implemented in January 1995 and is funded by a 2 cent per beverage container Waste Reduction and Prevention (WRAP) levy. The per container levy is applied to all non-deposit, non-dairy beverage containers sold in the province. The levy supports recycling and waste reduction efforts in the province, thus, producers fund 80% of municipal recycling costs. Beginning in 2010, the Canadian Beverage Recycling Container Recycling Institute (CBCRA) was placed in charge of the management and operation of Manitoba's beverage container recycling program. The WRAP levy paid on non-deposit beverage containers generated approximately $8.4 million per year for recycling initiatives. The levy is included in the price paid by a retailer to a licensed manufacturer or distributor. Many retailers include the 2 cents in their price to consumers to offset the additional cost.
The provincial government mandates a 75% redemption rate goal for non-alcoholic beverage container returns. The CBCRA last reported a 70% redemption rate for 2017 [6]; however, third parties such as CM Consulting have contested this rate, stating, "After a series of correspondence with the producer responsibility organization that provides non-alcoholic beverage container collection rates for Manitoba, we were unable to receive data suitable for entry into our report. Due to lack of transparency, granularity and methods and analysis behind the rate, as well as lack of transparency regarding audits... we have no reason to believe the numbers that have been officially reported by the producers." [7]
In 2019, the CRF was changed to reflect material type and now ranges from 0.01 to 0.03 cents. The per container levy is applied to all non-deposit, non-dairy beverage containers sold in the province. [8]
Municipalities participate in the program voluntarily. To be eligible for funding, they are required to collect newspapers, flyers, aluminum, glass and steel containers and plastic soft drink bottles. Curbside programs collect beverage containers and arrange for the processing of the scrap materials. Some municipalities, such as Winnipeg, keep all scrap revenues while others negotiate a split with the waste transporter. These revenues, along with the monies received from the MPSP are used to offset the costs of curbside recycling.
Consumers may recycle their containers at any of the over 70,000 blue bins throughout the province, or through their public space programs.
Footnotes
[1] "RE: EMPTY BEER BOTTLE/CAN/PET CONTAINER RETURNS." Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. April 1, 2020.
[2] "'Recycle Everywhere' beverage container stats dropped from consultant report, citing lack of transparency." Marcoux, Jacques. CBC News. October 22, 2018.
[3] "Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers: Global Overview 2016." CM Consulting Incorporated, May 25, 2017.
[4] "CONTAINER DEPOSITS." Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. Last Accessed December 12, 2021.
[5] See Footnote 2.
[6]"Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) Manitoba Program Plan: 2018 – 2022." Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA). July 10, 2018.
[7] "Who Pays What? An Analysis of Beverge Container Collection and Costs in Canada, 2018." CM Consulting, October 2018.
[8] "2019 Container Recycling Fee (CRF) Update." Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA). Effective February 1, 2019.
Last Updated on May 17, 2023.