ABOUT US BEERS LIFESTYLE eBEER BEER GEAR OUR STORES
 

 

TBS Product Stewardship

The Beer Store is a global leader in the practice of extended producer responsibility and unique among Ontario retailers in that it takes back all of the packaging materials that it sells: bottles, cans, cartons, caps, kegs, plastic bags and can rings. Not only does TBS take back all beer packaging that it sells to consumers, but also from 16,700 bars and restaurants.

All collected materials are either reused or recycled. With an impressive recovery rate of 95 per cent on the industry standard bottle (the most prolific container in the market), TBS is undoubtedly the most successful waste diversion program in Ontario if not all of North America.


Download report

Read Press Release

The costs associated with the system are recovered from fees applied to brewers. About 76 per cent of TBS sales by volume are in refillable containers – the top of the “3-R hierarchy” of reuse, reduce and recycle. The industry standard bottle can be used 12 to 15 times and inert glass containers are endlessly recyclable. This emphasis on reuse of containers and recycling of containers and packaging contributes enormous benefits to Ontario including reduced pressure on landfill space and significant reductions in pollution and green house gas (GHG) emissions.

Ontario Deposit Return Program

2007 marked a landmark year for The Beer Store’s product stewardship program as TBS entered into a five-year contract with the Ontario government to take back and refund deposits on all wine, spirit and cooler containers sold in Ontario.

The ODRP has translated into important increases in the volume of LCBO glass that is recycled back into high-end glass uses. Although a significant tonnage of LCBO glass was previously collected through municipal Blue Box programs, because this glass was not sorted by colour, much of the tonnage collected could not be recycled back into glass products. In fact, a lot of the LCBO glass previously collected in Blue Boxes was ending up in low value uses such as road aggregate.


What Leading Environmental Organizations are Saying About The Beer Store's Deposit Return Program

“Not only are their recycling results impressive, but the deposit-return system is efficient, saves energy and reduces the strain on municipal recycling programs. The Beer Store is truly one of Ontario’s green leaders.”
Chris Winter, Executive Director, Conservation Council of Ontario
weconserve.ca



“The optimal beverage container is one that is proven health safe, is recovered at a rate approaching 100%, is reused dozens of times in a closed-loop system of local production and consumption and is 100% recycled back into a beverage container when it can no longer be reused. Such a package exists – it is called a refillable beer bottle. It’s been with us for over 100 years and with regard to production and consumption of packaged goods it offers a great example of looking back towards a sustainable future.”
Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director, Environmental Defence Canada
environmentaldefence.ca



"Ontarians should be proud of the Beer Store's environmental achievements. It's time businesses across the province follow the Beer Store's lead and turn their talk about waste diversion into real action."
Pierre Sadik, Senior Policy Advisor, The David Suzuki Foundation
davidsuzuki.org



“The convenient return-to-retail packaging recovery system perfected by the Ontario brewing industry continues to provide an excellent example of how smart business embraces environmental responsibility. The Beer Store system involves cooperation by the entire supply chain to ensure that distribution of full goods is complimented with back-haul recovery of reusable and recyclable packaging – an approach that offers tremendous environmental and bottom line gains.”
Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director, The Recycling Council of Ontario
rco.on.ca



"The Beer Store has set the environmental gold standard for all beverage producers. They have proven year after year that deposit return programs and refillable beer bottles are good for the environment, business and the economy. We should all raise a refillable bottle to the Beer Store's accomplishments." 
Dr. Franz Hartmann, Executive Director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance
torontoenvironment.org

Save Time

Want to save time when returning your empties? Check out these helpful tips!

Bulk Returns

If you are planning to bring back 120 or more containers to The Beer Store at one time to collect your deposit refund, please consider visiting one of our bulk return locations which are better able to handle a large quantity of returns.

If you are planning to have a bottle drive, please print off this form and visit your local store to plan for your return date and time.