Recycling is a large industry and because of how large and diverse it is, many questions get asked by Albertans. What can I recycle? Does what I recycle actually get made into a new product? Why can I recycle some items but not others? How much money do I get from a Bottle Depot? And so many more.
In Alberta, Bottle Depots currently collect beverage containers that are sold in Alberta and have a deposit value attached to them. A good rule of thumb is if you can drink it, it can be brought to a Bottle Depot.
When you purchase a drink from a supermarket or convenience store, you are charged a deposit fee. There is a $0.10 deposit fee for all containers 1L and under and a $0.25 fee for containers more than 1L. The deposit fee approach is consistent with Alberta’s waste management strategy to encourage Albertans to take responsibility for resource conservation and to minimize waste.
The deposit system used in Alberta is one of the best in the world with return rates of more than 80%! 2021 saw a return rate of 84%!
The best part about Alberta’s beverage recycling through Bottle Depot’s, is that what you recycle actually gets made in to new products and does not end up in the landfill. It only takes 1000 recycled milk jugs to make a new recycled park bench and every aluminum can recycled can save enough energy to run your TV for three hours.
So keep it up and continue to recycle your empties whether that be through scheduling a pickup with Depot Express, or by using our convenient Express Depot Kiosks where you don’t have to wait in line at the Bottle Depot