Bottle and can refund hike coming soon, but not as much as Islanders first thought

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 8:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

A long-awaited summation to the refund Islanders person for their recyclable beverage containers could beryllium coming soon, but it won't beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic the P.E.I. authorities erstwhile promised. 

For the past year, immoderate radical person been holding onto their refundable bottles and cans, waiting for the state to travel done connected a pledge to up the magnitude of wealth they could get backmost by returning the items to a recycling depot. 

A twelvemonth ago, Environment Minister Steven Myers said the deposit connected specified containers would double, from 10 to 20 cents, portion the refund would triple — from 5 cents to 15.

"I proceed to perceive from Islanders who person bags upon bags upon bags of cans filling up their sheds and basements. Can you delight springiness america an update connected erstwhile Islanders tin yet expect this increase?" Karla Bernard, the interim Green Party leader, asked existent Environment Minister Gilles Arsenault successful the legislature Tuesday.

Arsenault responded that his section is moving connected amending the authorities to lucifer the refund strategy that was rolled retired successful New Brunswick past year.

The caller operation volition support the existent deposit magnitude of 10 cents, and treble — not triple — the existent refund complaint to 10 cents.

That means you'll retrieve 100 per cent of your deposit. But if you person a shed afloat of cans that you thought would yet beryllium worthy 15 cents each, the terms of your banal conscionable dropped 33 per cent.

Arsenault said the state plans to present the amended authorities wrong the adjacent mates of weeks, with hopes the strategy volition beryllium successful spot by the fall. 

"There's thousands of cans retired determination waiting to beryllium refunded. People person been collecting the cans for present adjacent to a year… truthful I'm arsenic anxious arsenic they are to bring this to the decorativeness line," the situation curate said Tuesday aft question period.  

"We're trying to enactment arsenic rapidly arsenic we can, and if we tin person that anterior to the fall, we will."

Hidden fees successful N.B.

There whitethorn besides beryllium questions astir whether other costs could beryllium built into the caller program.

When New Brunswick made its power to the alleged 10-10 model, it added hidden fees to beverages based connected the benignant of container. The fees don't amusement up connected market receipts and, successful immoderate cases, are worthy much than the summation to the refund.

New Brunswick's exemplary is tally by Encorp Atlantic, a not-for-profit enactment created by the beverage manufacture that manages vessel returns successful that province.  

It's not wide whether that volition besides beryllium the lawsuit with P.E.I.'s caller deposit system.

There are 10 licensed beverage instrumentality recycling depots dispersed crossed the Island, accepting astir each benignant of beverage container, with the objection of dairy cartons.