Express Guide
View information on how to use Return-It Express to return beverage containers.
How To Register?
To start using Return-It Express, simply register for a free Express account online through the Express platform. During registration, you can choose the account type that best suits your needs.
- Personal Account*1
- Collecting deposit refunds on behalf of an individual or occupants of a single household.
- Business Account
- Collecting deposit refunds on behalf of a business or organization with a legal business name or registered business number, where beverage containers are generated during the course of business.
- Group Account
- Collecting deposit refunds on behalf of fundraising groups such as community groups, sports teams & schools.
- Charity Account
- Collecting deposit refunds on behalf of a registered charitable organization. Registering a charity account requires the registrant to provide their charity registration number.
A valid phone number is required to create a Return-It Express account. Your phone number will be used to:
- Access certain areas of site services.
- Generate QR coded bag labels at Return-It Locations.
- Verify your identity through two factor authentication, review transaction history and to request redemptions.
*1 If you have a personal account and typically return large volumes of used beverage containers, you may be asked to switch to a group or business account.
Ready to Recycle? Find a Location by clicking below
Preparing for Your First Visit
The Return-It Express System is for returning eligible deposit-bearing, refundable used beverage containers only.
Click below to visit our searchable database of acceptable ready-to-drink beverage containers that can be returned for full deposit refund.
Preparing your Express bag
- Get your Express bags. Express bags must be clear/transparent and be up to 90L in capacity. Bags are available for purchase at almost any grocery store, dollar store, drug store, or hardware store. Brands like Glad, Western Family, Life, Safeway, No Name, and HDX all work with the Express system.
- Fill up and seal your transparent Express bag(s) with accepted empty beverage containers only.
- Don’t crush or flatten your beverage containers! The bar code and label information are used by depot staff or counting technology to confirm that the container is part of the deposit-refund system here in BC. Crushed or flattened containers can be difficult to read or scan the labels. If the depot is unable to verify that your containers are part of the system, they may not be able to issue a refund.
- To prevent breakage and for the safety of depot staff, we ask that you put a maximum of 12 glass bottles in each Express bag along with your other beverage containers.
- Do not put garbage, containers not included in the system and other materials in your Express bags. A $1.00 per bag handling fee might be charged to handle those materials.
Dropping off your bags
- Use the Express kiosk to print QR-coded bag labels by entering your registered valid phone number. Choose the number of labels you need to print, each bag you are dropping off requires its own QR-coded bag label.
- Bring a maximum of 6 unsorted clear/transparent Express bags.
- You can print up to 6 QR-coded bag labels at an Express kiosk and take them home with you to tag your bags as they fill up.
- Stick your bags labels to your Express bags and leave your bags in the designated Express bag drop off area, we’ll do the rest!
- After leaving your tagged bags at a Return-It Express location, your containers are counted by depot staff and a detailed record of your counted containers and refunds will be available on your online account within 10 business days.
Understanding Your Return & Redeeming Funds
Not sure what the next steps are after you’ve dropped off your Express bag(s)? Want to understand your recent return? Here’s everything you need to know about the details of your recent return.
Refund details:
- Once you drop off your labeled bag(s), they will be counted and sorted. You will be notified via an email, and/or a push notification on your phone when your labeled bags(s) have been counted.
- If you are still waiting for bags after 10 business days, let our Customer Relations team know at customerservice@returnit.ca or 1-855-350-2345. Unprocessed Express bags must be reported with 90 days of drop off.
- Once your account has been credited, you can sign in to review the details of your return including a breakdown of the container types included in your bag.
- We’ll include one notification in your account showing how many bags were credited and a breakdown of their contents and another notification showing the dollar amount that was credited to your account balance for these bags.
- All containers that are registered in the Return-It system are eligible for a 10-cent deposit refund.
- Refillable beer bottles and some aluminum alcohol containers are not managed by Encorp Pacific and are the responsibility of BC Brewers Recycled Container Council (BRCCC) and are covered under BRCCC’s Stewardship Plan.
- Return-It sites that are not licensed by BRCCC may still accept these containers, but you may only receive a partial deposit refund. To find out if the location pays full refund on BRCCC materials please check the location’s details page.
Redeeming your funds:
- To redeem your account balance, you can do so by requesting an Interac e-transfer or by requesting a mailed cheque.
- The type of redemption available to you will be determined by the account type selected during registration.
| Account Type | Redemption Type Available | Cheque payable to |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Interac e-Transfer and cheque | Personal name |
| Group | Interac e-Transfer and cheque | Personal name |
| Business | Cheque | Business name |
| Charity | Cheque | Charity name |
Redeeming your funds by e-Transfer:
- A minimum amount of CDN $10.00 is required before an Interac e-Transfer can be requested and issued.
- Interac e-Transfer will be made payable to the email address on file.
- A maximum value of CDN $2,000.00 can be redeemed and refunded within a 12-month period.
- Any funds redeemed in excess of CDN $2,000.00 within a 12-month period, can only be refunded by cheque to the mailing address on the account file.
- Any Interac e-Transfer that is not collected within 30 days of sending will be cancelled automatically and returned to the Express account.
Redeeming your funds by cheque:
- A minimum amount of CDN $50.00 is required before a cheque can be requested and issued.
- Cheques may take up to three weeks for delivery from the time of request.