Frequently Asked Questions

This approach is consistent with Alberta’s waste management strategy to encourage Albertans to take responsibility for resource conservation and to minimize waste.

When you return beverage containers to a Depot in Alberta, you will receive a refund of the deposit you initially paid when you purchased the product from a retailer. The deposit/refund amount for containers 1 litre or less is 10 cents and for containers larger than 1 litre the deposit/refund is 25 cents.

All “ready-to-serve” beverage containers sold in Alberta are part of the recycling system. There are over 150,000 beverage containers registered in the province, including: plastic drink bottles and jugs, aluminum cans, polycoat containers, glass bottles and metal cans. If you are unsure if a container can be returned for a refund, check with your Depot or call BCMB at 1-888-424-7671. 

No. Deposits aren’t charged on concentrate mixes. They are not considered “ready-to-serve” as they need to be mixed prior to consumption.

There are over 200 Depots in Alberta. To find your nearest location check here.

Here are some things you can do to prepare for a trip to the Depot:

• Ensure that your containers are empty.

• Give the containers a quick rinse, especially milk containers.

• Leave the caps, tabs and labels on.

• Keep in mind that Saturday is usually the busiest day and plan around it.

• Confirm the hours of operation at your local Depot by visiting the Find a Depot page.

• If you pre-sort and count your containers before heading to a Depot it can help to make the process faster; however, the Depots will do this for you.

• Please take all boxes and bags home with you to reuse or recycle.

Yes, you can squash them flat so they take up less space in your recycling bags or bins, but leave the label on the container so it is still recognizable to Depot staff as a registered container. 

If you operate a business that produces a large volume of beverage containers, check with your local Depot to see if they or a charitable partner provide a commercial pickup service.

Most Depots have a way for you to donate your containers to a local charity. Depots also work with community groups and local organizations to host bottle drives. If you are interested in donating your containers, setting up a donation program, or holding a bottle drive, contact your local Depot.

There are certain steps that can be taken in the event you believe you did not receive an accurate refund before you accept payment from the Depot. 

Speak to a manager or supervisor at the Depot to ask for a recount of your containers. Depots may place them back into the sorting station for a recount or, when available, may review camera footage of the count.

If you are still not satisfied with the recount and think you have properly counted your beverage containers using a rate of 10 cents for containers 1 litre (or less) and 25 cents for containers over 1 litre, you can contact the Beverage Container Management Board to explain the issue.

The BCMB monitors Depot refund accuracy with a refund compliance program. All Depots are audited numerous times throughout the year by unidentified “mystery shoppers” The refund provided to the mystery shopper is then compared to the expected refund. Depots are held to strict standards and are penalized if an inaccurate refund was provided.

Depot compliance on refunds is extremely high. You can see the results of Depot refund compliance on BCMB’s website.

No. Only containers that have been purchased in Alberta and charged a deposit can be refunded at Depots. The refund deposit system for beverage containers in Alberta is dependent on the cycle of a deposit charged, and then the refund paid out when that beverage container is returned to a Depot. Any imbalance in the system can be very costly and puts the system at risk.

The handling commission is a fee paid to Depots by manufacturers to reimburse the Depots for expenses related to collecting and handling beverage containers.

The beverage container recycling system is overseen by the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB). The BCMB is the system’s regulator as mandated by Alberta Environment and Parks. The Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) is approved by the BCMB to be the agent for the collection of non-refillable beverage containers, and the Alberta Beer Container Corporation (ABCC) is a collection service provider for refillable beer containers. The Alberta Bottle Depot Association (ABDA) represents Depot owners in Alberta. All four organizations work in partnership to ensure the collection and processing of used beverage containers in the province.

Yes! Our system is able to accept your empty beverage containers that still have the lids, caps and labels on them.

Refillable beer bottle caps must be removed before they are sent back from the Depot to streamline the sanitization and refilling process.

Beyond your fully refundable deposit, a non-refundable CRF may be applied at the point of purchase to cover the net costs in recycling beverage containers. The fee varies depending on the material the container is made from and the size of the container. Review the information about Container Recycling Fees on ABCRC’s website.