Without expanded return locations, province will start to see decline of successful deposit-return program for alcohol containers

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – People in Ontario can now buy alcohol in more places, but the province is on the precipice of an environmental setback because there are very few added locations to return empties. It is virtually certain that the lack of return locations will increase waste and litter, spelling doom for beer bottle refill and alcohol container recycling. The requirement for grocery stores that sell alcohol to take back empties is essential and must be maintained.

Ontarians have been returning containers to The Beer Store for nearly 100 years — ensuring cans and bottles are sorted and effectively recycled or refilled. But retailers are seeking to weaken the deposit-return program for alcohol containers even as Ontario continues to lag behind most other Canadian provinces since it does not have a similar program for non-alcoholic beverages.

Every year, we estimate that more than 1.7 billion plastic bottles are littered, landfilled or burned in an incinerator because there is no deposit-return system for non-alcoholic beverages. The provincial government abruptly cancelled work on such a program this past summer after retailers complained that they would be expected to participate in taking back empties from the beverages they sell.

Now retailers are railing against the requirement to start taking back alcohol empties if they sell alcohol as part of this fall’s expansion of sales to convenience and grocery stores.

All effective deposit-return systems ensure consumers can easily return their empties. This keeps containers in the system and out of the environment while enabling people to get their deposits back. That’s why the province must ignore retailer whining and hold firm that stores that sell alcohol must take back empties. It’s only fair.

What’s more, the province must get back to the table with the non-alcoholic beverage industry, retailers and environmental advocates to design an effective and long-awaited expansion of the deposit-return program to non-alcoholic beverages.

Retailers all over the world take back empties — including in Quebec, Michigan, Germany and all over Latin America. There is no excuse for major retailers not to participate in reducing litter and waste in Ontario, refunding customer deposits, and ensuring containers can be recycled or refilled.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca