Ontario considering deposit-and-return system like The Beer Store's for non-alcoholic drink containers

Ontario is contemplating the introduction of a deposit-and-return system for non-alcoholic drink containers and has launched a working group to look at its options, CBC Toronto has learned.

The province already has such a recycling program for beer, wine and liquor bottles and cans.

The idea was floated in a letter from Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks David Piccini — a copy of which was obtained by CBC Toronto — inviting industry stakeholders to join the working group that will explore options for implementation of the system in the province.

In the June 27 letter, Piccini said Ontario has recognized the urgent need to address the environmental challenges posed by single-use packaging waste and the opportunity to grow the circular economy. 

"As a solution, we are considering the adoption of a deposit-and-return system that has proven to be successful in other jurisdictions," Piccini wrote in the letter.

"Such a system would enable consumers to receive a refund for returning used beverage containers, promoting recycling, reducing litter, and encouraging sustainable practices."

Piccini's letter does not contain a timeline for implementation of the system in the province.

Last month CBC News reported that companies were poised to start charging recycling fees for non-alcoholic beverages in Ontario, as the province shifts toward making producers of consumer goods responsible for the cost of recovering or recycling their waste material. It was unclear at that time whether consumers would see those fees tacked on at the checkout or buried within the price of the soft drinks, bottled water and juice boxes they buy.

Piccini said the province is establishing "a dedicated working group" comprising key stakeholders from various sectors to initiate the process in Ontario. 

The working group will consist of representatives from government, environmental organizations, consumer advocacy groups, recycling industry experts, and business leaders, Piccini's letter said. The group will meet through a series of in-person and virtual meetings over the next six months, commencing July 20. 

"By assembling a diverse set of perspectives, we aim to foster meaningful discussions, leverage collective knowledge, and ensure that all relevant considerations are thoroughly examined," he said.

'A step in the right direction'

Advocacy group Environmental Defence says a deposit-and-return system for non-alcoholic drink containers is long overdue in Ontario.

"I think it's totally a step in the right direction," Karen Wirsig, the group's senior program manager for plastics, said in an interview.

"We do need a deposit return for non-alcoholic beverage containers in Ontario. It's been sorely lacking for many years, she said.

"A growing number of plastic containers that we see everywhere are being wasted, meaning they're being thrown into landfills or directly into litter littering our beaches, parks and streets."

Wirsig said any system the province decides to adopt or design needs to be effective.

"The kinds of things that we look for in an effective system are a meaningful deposit rate. So, you know, at least the rate that the Beer Store charges — between 10 and 20 cents," she said.

"Systems that don't work very well have a very low level deposit like five cents per container, and it's not enough of an incentive in 2023 to get those containers back."

There also needs to be the ability to return containers in the types of places where people buy them, she said. Additionally, Wirsig said the province should aim for "the real gold standard of the Beer Store system [where] it takes back bottles for refill.

"That's ultimately what we'd like to see with non-alcoholic beverage containers, is the ability to take back containers that could be refilled," Wirsig said.

Environmental Defence would like to see the system implemented in Ontario within the year. Wirsig said beverage producers should take the launch of the working group as a signal that deposit return is coming and "get serious about it." 

"I assume that the beverage industry will be participating in the working group, or at least a fly on the wall, and they need to be using these discussions as a way of shaping a future program," Wirsig said.