Statement from Tim Gray, Executive Director: Proposed Bill Could Keep Billions of Ontarioâ€s Beverage Containers Out of Landfills, Incinerators and the Environment

MPP Mary-Margaret McMahonâ€s Private Memberâ€s Bill announced this morning seeks to mandate deposit return for non-alcoholic drink containers 

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Today, weâ€re celebrating the introduction of a private memberâ€s bill to expand deposit return to non-alcoholic drink containers. This is a common-sense policy solution to bottles and cans littered in parks, along roadways and in our lakes and rivers. Itâ€s also a solution the vast majority of Ontarians support. Shamefully, Ontario is one of only two provinces in Canada without deposit return for non-alcoholic beverages, and as a result has the lowest drink container recycling rate in the country at only 43 per cent.

We encourage MPPs to support this billâ€s quick passage through the Legislature so that work can get underway to keep billions of beverage containers out of Ontarioâ€s landfills, incinerators and environment.

Background: 

• Policy research by Environmental Defence estimates that upwards of 1.7 billion plastic drink containers end up landfilled, littered or burned each year in Ontario due to the lack of a deposit-return system for non-alcoholic beverages.
• In 2023, the Ontario government established a stakeholder working group to explore expanding deposit return to include non-alcoholic beverage containers. This past summer, following vocal opposition from retailers, the government cancelled the working group and abandoned the policy.
• The Canadian Beverage Association, which represents big brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi has come out in support of Ontario implementing an expanded deposit return.
• Polling commissioned by Environmental Defence from Abacus Data earlier this year found that 81 per cent of Ontarians support deposit return for non-alcoholic beverages, and more than half want to be able to return their empties to grocery and retail stores.
• Ontario and Manitoba are the only two provinces in Canada without deposit return for non-alcoholic beverage containers
• The provincial government has set regulated targets for beverage producers to collect and recycle or refill containers: 75 per cent by 2026 and 80 per cent by 2030. The only proven way to achieve these targets is deposit return with accessible return locations, including at stores where non-alcoholic beverages are sold.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Lauren Thomas, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca