4 beverage-container recycling myths most people in Alberta actually believe

Returning refundable beverage containers is one of the quickest and easiest ways to reduce pollution and the amount of garbage being sent to landfills, while putting money back in your pocket!

But with so many new products and beverage containers on our shelves today, knowing how to recycle them can be a little tricky to navigate.

Luckily, that’s where Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) comes in! From what can be returned to a bottle depot, getting your deposit back, to quick tips on how to make the process easier, we connected with the ABCRC experts to dispel some common myths.

Check them out yourself for easy-peasy recycling! 

Myth: Drink pouches and protein shake cartons can’t be returned

When it comes to recycling, it’s easy to think that only common products like pop cans or glass bottles can be recycled, but that’s not true! Non-traditional materials that can be recycled and returned at the bottle depot in Alberta are often mistakenly tossed into the garbage, along with their deposit value.

Fact: Containers like drink pouches, polycoat cartons like protein shakes and juice boxes, bi-metal cans like those used for tomato juice or coconut water, and plastic containers under 1L can be recycled and taken back to a bottle depot.

Myth: It’s hard to return your containers 

Image via ABCRC

If there’s one thing about returning your containers in Alberta, difficulty is not one of them!

Fact: With nearly 200 independently-owned depots, it’s always a convenient and simple task to return empties. Just visit a depot with your empties and sort them by container type to receive your deposit back. Remember to give them a quick rinse and put the caps back on the bottles to speed up the process.

Pro tip: Even though it might seem like a good idea to save space and clean things up, don’t crush your containers or remove the labels — keep them in their original form.

Myth: Only cans and bottles can be returned for your deposit

In Alberta, a deposit fee is already added to the price of every regulated beverage container, whether it’s a can, bottle, or juice box, which means when returned, customers can receive their deposit back! You’ve already paid it, so you might as well get it back!

Fact: For containers 1L or less, customers can get their 10-cent refund, and for containers larger than 1L, customers can get back 25 cents per container. Pro-tip: do not crush any containers and leave the labels on! 

Myth: Recycling doesn’t have an impact on our community

Image via ABCRC

As one of the oldest and largest deposit-based systems in Canada, ABCRC knows a thing or two about the power of recycling.

Fact: In 2023 alone, approximately 2.16 billion beverage containers were collected and recycled, diverting more than 99 million pounds of garbage from landfills. 

Plus, did you know that Alberta is actually number one in Canada and number two in North America for its recovery rate of beverage containers?

Recycling and beyond

Now that we’ve set the recycling facts straight for beverage containers, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. Recycling and recovering beverage containers properly has truly never been so easy. For more information, check out the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation website.