We have released a new report in conjunction with Canadian Beverage Association demonstrating that extending Ontario’s deposit-return system to include non-alcoholic beverage containers is the most effective way to increase rates and reach the collection goal of 90%.

Ontario is one of only two provinces in Canada without a Deposit Return System (DRS) for non-alcoholic beverage containers. As a result, its beverage recovery rate is estimated as 50% compared to 77% in British Columbia and 84% in Alberta in 2022. The Government has set 2030 recovery targets, as outlined in Ontario Regulation 391/21 under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. These targets include an 80% recovery target for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

The report’s findings show that leveraging The Beer Store’s collection system and having grocery stores and other retail locations take back empty beverage containers will create a system that can achieve a recovery rate of over 89% and deliver a collection location for roughly every 1,600 Ontarians. This system would also include limited depot collection in high-volume locations. The net-cost of this system is estimated to be $190 million and would be funded by the beverage industry.