Do I need to prepare by beverage containers before taking them to a bottle depot?

As of February 1st, 2022 there is a 10-cent deposit charged on “ready-to-drink” milk and plant-based beverages like oat, soy, and almond. The 10-cent deposit will be refunded when the empty containers are returned for recycling at Return-It sites across the province.

Consumers can still place their milk and plant-based beverage containers into their residential and curbside (blue box) recycling bin, but they will not be eligible for the 10-cent deposit refund paid at the time of purchase.

For more information, please visit the Return-It website. Visit RCBC’s Recyclepedia for drop-off options or contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline for all options available in your community.

Yes. Alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and spirits, are included in the deposit/refund recycling program. The deposit for alcoholic beverage containers is 10 cents.

Visit RCBC’s Recyclepedia for drop-off options or contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline for all options available in your community.

The Recycling Fee represents the cost of recycling the beverage container you purchased. Prior to the spring of 2000, this fee was incorporated into the price of the beverage. In order to educate consumers about the cost of the system, Return-It has encouraged retailers to show this fee as a separate item on your till receipt.

Aseptic packaging containers of all types are included in a recycling program managed by Recycle BC. Through this program, tetra packs are included in many curbside recycling programs across the province. For those who cannot include them in their household recycling, there are also depots that accept them for free drop-off.

Visit RCBC’s Recyclepedia for drop-off options or contact the RCBC Recycling Hotline for all options available in your community.