Deposit Changes as of Oct. 1st, 2020

Starting October 1st, 2020, deposits on beverage containers over 1 litre will change from 20¢ to 10¢. This will simplify the overall system and make it even easier for you to recycle all your beverage containers — regardless of size.

A transition period will be in place between October 1, 2020, until October 11, 2020, inclusive. During this period  Return-It will refund 20¢ for every acceptable beverage container over 1 litre. Starting October 12, 2020, you'll be charged the unified deposit of 10¢ for all beverage containers covered by the Return-It system, and refunded 10¢ upon return.

Transition schedule for acceptable beverage containers over 1 litre

To receive a refund, simply return empty containers to your nearest Return-It Depot.

For more information, check out our FAQ below.

Containers with updated deposits:

FAQ's

Why are we changing the deposit?

As the industry-owned not-for-profit stewardship agency, we are responsible for managing B.C.’s Return-It beverage container system. We are moving forward with this change now because we believe it will simplify the overall system and have a positive impact on the overall number of beverage containers recycled.

When are these changes coming to effect?

Effective October 1st, a 10-cent deposit will be charged for all ready-to-drink beverage containers containing soft drinks, juice, water, energy and sports drinks regardless of the size. Beverage containers over 1 litre will change from 20¢ to 10¢.

How will the transition period work?

Customers will have until October 11, 2020, to return beverage containers purchased before the deposit change. During that time, Return-It will refund 20¢ for every acceptable beverage container over 1 litre. Starting October 12th, consumers will be charged the unified deposit of 10¢ for all beverage containers covered by the Return-It system and refunded 10¢ upon return.

What containers types will have their deposits changed to 10 cents?

• Plastic over 1 L
• Gable Top over 1 L
• Glass over 1 L
• Bi-Metal over 1 L
• Bag-in-a-box over 1 L

How will this change impact consumers?

Deposits on beverage containers are fully refundable by returning containers to recycling depots, through Express or other designated collection sites. As long as a consumer is returning their containers there is no additional cost being introduced. To find a location nearby visit https://www.return-it.ca/locations/

Didn't you just change the deposit levels in 2019?

Yes, on November 1, 2019, we increased our deposit rate from 5 cents to 10 cents for all ready-to-drink beverage containers containing soft drinks, juice, water, energy and sport drinks up to and including 1 litre in size. This new deposit change beginning October 1st, 2020 will simplify the overall system by having one unified deposit level of 10 cents, irrespective of the size, for all beverage containers in the Return-It system.

We made both changes to simplify the system and ensure more containers get recycled.

What is a deposit?

Deposits are charged when a beverage container is purchased. They are returned in full when you bring back the empty container for recycling. These deposits are set through government legislation. Click here for the B.C. Government's page on Beverage Container Regulation.

For a full listing of all containers that can be returned to a Return-It Depot visit https://www.return-it.ca/beverage/products/