Beer Store recycling program reaches 3 billion container milestone
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The retailer’s recycling program processes an average of 555 alcohol containers every minute. The effort helps avoid 195,000 tonnes of GHG emissions a year, the equivalent to taking 41,000 cars and trucks off the road
TORONTO—The Beer Store has reached a heady milestone, recycling more than 3 billion alcohol containers across Ontario.
“We’re thrilled to announce that we have reached this milestone on environmental responsibility and that we’ve diverted enormous amounts of material that could otherwise end up in the province’s landfills,” said Beer Store President Ted Moroz.
If laid end-to-end on the ground, these 3 billion containers would stretch around the world 19 times—at about 762,000 kilometres in length.
This recycling initiative, the Ontario Deposit Return Program, began in February 2007 and introduced a deposit on glass, metal, plastic and cardboard alcohol containers over 100 ml in content. These products, and even products not sold in the Beer Store system, can be returned to Beer Store locations, retail partners and contracted empty bottle dealers province wide for a refund.
“The Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP) is an effective way to ensure the empty alcohol containers that you return are recycled into new bottles and other products. Returning empties protects the environment, reduces waste and creates jobs. It’s a win for the environment and a win for the economy,” said Finance Minister Charles Sousa.
The program recycles an average of 555 alcohol containers every minute of every day.
Each year, more than 400,000 tonnes of material is diverted from the province’s landfills by the Beer Store’s recycling efforts, which also help to avoid over 195,000 tonnes of yearly Greenhouse Gas emissions—the equivalent to taking over 41,000 cars and trucks off the roads.
The Beer Store reached 1 billion containers returned under the ODRP in December 2010, and 2 billion containers returned in April 2014.
