Province Protecting the Environment, Fighting Climate Change, Creating Jobs
Three billion alcohol containers have been kept out of the province’s landfills to date, instead being recycled through the Ontario Deposit Return Program.
Through the program, alcohol containers such as plastic and glass bottles, aluminum and steel cans, bag-in-box and Tetra Pak containers can be returned to the Beer Store locations across Ontario for a full deposit refund. Returned containers are recycled into useful new products such as new bottles and cans, carpeting, insulation, and plastic lumber, generating hundreds of jobs in Ontario each year.
Programs like the Ontario Deposit Return Program support Ontario’s move toward a circular economy — a system where valuable materials destined for landfill are reused or recycled, protecting the environment while creating new jobs and investment opportunities.
Recycling containers back into productive use also supports the province’s efforts to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfilled materials.
Reducing waste and protecting the environment is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Quick Facts
- You can return plastic and glass bottles, aluminum and steel cans, bag-in-box wine containers and Tetra Pak containers purchased from the LCBO, LCBO Agency stores, the Beer Store, authorized grocery stores, and at winery, brewery and distillery retail stores.
- Approximately 80 per cent of all empties are returned to the Beer Store each year.
- Since 2007, about 1.1 million tonnes of beverage alcohol containers have been diverted from landfill under this program.
- Over eight million tonnes of Ontario waste are sent to landfills each year.
- Recovering resources through recycling creates jobs. Every additional 1,000 tonnes of recycled waste generates seven new jobs, most right here in Ontario.
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