You'll pay more for drinks in Quebec starting March 1 — But you can get that money back
Everything from wine bottles to milk cartons.
More beverages will have a refundable deposit.
Starting March 1, buying drinks in Quebec will cost a little more, but you'll be able to get that money back when you return the empty containers.
Next month, L'Association québécoise de récupération des contenants de boissons (AQRCB) is launching the second phase of its expanded deposit-refund system, which now includes a wider range of beverage containers.
Most containers between 100 ml and 2 litres — will now have a refundable deposit added to their price.
Since November of 2023, the deposit on most beverage bottles has been 10 cents, including beer cans over 450 ml (which previously had a 20-cent deposit). The aim was to make deposit amounts more consistent across various types of containers.
Meanwhile, the program will cover nearly all beverage containers, including milk cartons and wine bottles, by 2027. Once that occurs, glass bottles of 500 ml or more will have a 25-cent deposit.
This means when you buy a bottle of wine or a pack of bottled water, you'll pay a bit more upfront, but you can get that money back by returning the containers at one of the new drop-off points.
According to a press release from the AQRCB, the province has been gradually upgrading its deposit system since 2022, with a goal to double the number of containers returned and recycled. The target is to recover five billion beverage containers per year and raise the return rate to 90% by 2032. To make the process easier, more return locations have been added across the province, including Consignaction sites and automated machines at select retailers.
Although you'll be paying a little extra for your drinks, getting your deposit back is simpler than ever. Rather than going to a grocery store, you can drop off your containers at various return points for cash refunds or use the Consignaction app for electronic transfers.
For more information on the second phase of the expanded deposit-refund system, you can visit the Consignaction website.
*This article has been updated since it was last published.
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