Eunomia Research & Consulting, in partnership with Giroux Environmental Consulting and Millette Environmental, was commissioned by BCRNC to review the current state of beverage container recycling in Canada, estimate the current material flow of plastic beverage containers, analyse factors that contribute to high-performing systems in Europe and Canada, and identify key potential opportunities that could help Canadians achieve a 90% collection rate of plastic beverage containers.
Our analysis found that:
- 65% of rigid plastic beverage containers were recovered in 2022.
- Of the unrecovered containers, 59% are generated in Ontario, which does not have a Deposit Return System (DRS).
- If a comprehensive DRS were implemented in all Canadian provinces, with improved accessibility and a minimum $0.20 CAD deposit level, then Canada could achieve a 93% recovery for rigid plastic beverage containers.
