You've already paid a deposit — probably without noticing. In Quebec, an amount is added to the price of most beverage containers at purchase, and you get it back when you return the empty. That system is expanding, and the next step has a date on it.
How much, exactly. Two amounts: $0.10 for most covered containers, and $0.25 for glass containers of at least 500 ml and no more than 2 litres, according to Consignaction. It isn't a tax: it's a deposit that comes back to you in full when the container is returned. Not returning your containers means leaving that money on the table.
Three phases, one still ahead. Per the Quebec environment ministry (French only — the ministry publishes no English version of this page), the expansion happens in stages:
- November 1, 2023 — aluminum containers that weren't previously covered (juice cans, sparkling water, and so on) join the beer and soft drink containers already in the system.
- March 1, 2025 — all other plastic beverage containers, from 100 ml to 2 litres.
- March 1, 2027 — glass, other breakable materials, ferrous metal, multilayer and bio-based containers. This is the phase still to come.
In other words: your wine bottle or multilayer juice carton is not yet covered by the deposit. It will be in March 2027.
Where to return them. The system calls for a minimum of 1,200 return points spread across Quebec: retailers (stores with a sales area over 375 m², so most supermarkets) and dedicated return centres run by the designated management organization. By March 1, 2027, at least 400 dedicated return sites must be up and running.
The rollout has repeatedly slipped, and it shows. To be honest about the state of things: this reform has been pushed back more than once — the glass and multi-layer phase itself was delayed to 2027, as CBC reported, and the network of dedicated return points has lagged behind its targets. In practice, depending on your neighbourhood, returning containers may still mean queuing at a machine inside a grocery store rather than dropping by a dedicated centre.
Good to know for newcomers. The deposit often catches people out: the shelf price includes neither taxes nor the deposit, so the total climbs twice. The local habit is simple — keep a dedicated bag for deposit containers and empty it during your weekly grocery run rather than making a special trip. Check the deposit logo on the container: that's what decides, not what the material looks like. And don't toss a deposit container into the recycling bin: the gesture is still environmentally sound, but you forfeit your deposit. For return points near you and the current list of covered containers, go to the official sources rather than the summaries making the rounds.
