Environmental Leadership-ipad

OverviewStewardship ReportEvery Container CountsReturning EmptiesOntario Deposit Return Program (ODRP)Awards & RecognitionSustainability At Its Best

Overview

Environmental leadership. It’s one of our core values.

We don’t just talk about the importance of being environmentally responsible at The Beer Store, we actually do something about it – we’ve even made Environmental Leadership one of our core values.

Here are some of the ways we “walk the talk”:

  • We take back all alcohol primary and secondary packaging sold across the province of Ontario. This includes bottles, cans, kegs, cardboard packaging of various pack sizes, bottle caps and plastic rings. In fact, we’re a global leader in this practice. All collected materials are either reused or recycled.

  • We have an impressive recovery rate of 98% on the industry standard bottle. Ours is undoubtedly the most successful waste diversion program in Ontario, if not all of North America.

  • Recycling industry standard bottles and inert glass containers helps reduce pressure on landfill space and significantly reduces pollution and green house gas (GHG) emissions.

  • The Beer Store was Canada’s first business recipient of the Environmental Choice Leadership Award.

  • In 2007, The Beer Store entered into a landmark five-year contract with the Ontario government to take back and refund deposits on all wine, spirit and cooler containers sold in Ontario through the Ontario Deposit Return Program, and this partnership continues today.

Save Time Returning Your Empties

Planning Your Visit

We recommend the following steps to ensure you have a safe and quick returns experience. For a list of stores accepting returns, please click here. Please check store hours before visiting.

1
Rinse and organize your empty containers at home.
Rinse and organize your empty containers at home.

Before visiting your local Beer Store, customers are asked to rinse and organize their empty containers at home. Please put the containers in clear plastic bags.

2
Collect a Cart.
Collect a Cart.

Upon arrival, collect a Cart.

3
Sort your returns using the black totes provided.
Sort your returns using the black totes provided.

Please sort your returns. Sort and separate all containers using the black totes provided:

  • Separate all cans

  • Separate all wine & liquor bottles from beer bottles

  • Sort beer bottles by brown, clear and green glass

4
If applicable, wait in the designated empty container return line for your turn.
If applicable, wait in the designated empty container return line for your turn.

Wait in the designated empty container return line for your turn.

5
Have your deposit returned or donate to a charity.
Have your deposit returned or donate to a charity.

Your deposit is returned. Please note that you have the option to donate your deposit to charity.

Green Results:

The recycling activities under the two deposit programs result in: 207,000 tonnes of avoided green house gas emissions = Removing 44,236 cars from the road each year.