The Government of Alberta has announced that used milk containers will be added to the provincially-regulated beverage container recycling program. As of June 1, 2009, used milk containers may be returned to Alberta Bottle Depots for refund. With this change, the Alberta Dairy Council Milk Container Recycling Program will be discontinued.
For further information on how this change affects Alberta consumers, including information on how you can tell refund-eligible containers from non-eligible containers, click here. Effective November 1, 2009, all milk containers sold in Alberta are eligible for refund, regardless of markings.
Since 1999, the Milk Container Recycling Program has supported the collection and recycling of used milk containers in partnership with Alberta municipalities and community organizations. As a result, over 94% of Albertans now have access to milk container recycling services in their local communities. Since its inception, the program has diverted more than 15,000 tonnes of used milk containers from Alberta landfills.
Once the change takes place, all Alberta Bottle Depots will accept used milk containers for recycling and will pay refunds on marked containers (i.e., containers on which a deposit has been paid). Some municipalities and community organizations may continue to collect used milk containers but will not provide refunds. Others will cease the collection of milk containers altogether.
For municipalities seeking transitional information relating to the termination of the Milk Container Recycling Program, click here.
The Alberta Dairy Council is working with each of the Beverage Container Management Board (BCMB), the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) and all of its municipal and community partners in the Milk Container Recycling Program to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Visit the BCMB web site for complete information on the deposit/refund system.