Working together to recover every empty beverage container

While we continued to realize results in Manitoba through increased recycling rates of beverage containers and reduced waste in public spaces and landfills, we seized the opportunity to reinvent CBCRA by designing a comprehensive recycling program for the recovery of beverage containers in blue bins and public space in Ontario. In July 2021, the Ontario government passed a new Blue Box Regulation which defines beverage containers as its own category and sets a target of 75% recovery by 2026 and 80% by 2030. All beverage producers are financially and operationally responsible for the collection and management of Blue Box materials supplied to consumers as of July 1, 2023. To reach these targets, beverage containers consumed both at home and away from home (approximately 30% of the total beverage container generation) will need to be recovered. While residential collection programs exist to recover beverage containers consumed at home, there is need for public space recovery infrastructure and collection. Beverage producers need away from home collection because the curbside system only accounts for approximately 70% of generation. To meet this need, the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) will establish a recovery system in Ontario similar to what was established in Manitoba in 2010. With the addition of this system, producers will be able to comply with the new regulation and targets.

The CBCRA system in Manitoba, which started with virtually no away from home bin infrastructure, is one of Manitoba’s most recognized brands and has achieved the greatest recovery growth of any beverage container recovery system in North America. CBCRA intends to leverage its demonstrated knowledge and expertise in implementing an expansive away from home recovery system in Ontario, supported by a proven Promotion and Education strategy.

As a registered PRO (Producer Responsibility Organization) in Ontario, CBCRA is set to launch a supplemental collection system for the public space sector, which is integral to meeting recovery targets.

While producers will be unable to achieve recovery targets through the Blue Box program alone, CBCRA will ensure that they not only meet their obligations by collecting beverage containers at home, but also away from home in the most cost-efficient way. This plan outlines the steps CBCRA will undertake to ensure that beverage container diversion in Ontario meets the legislated target of 75% through a cohesive and incremental strategy that focuses on the following three elements: Promotion and Education, expanding recycling infrastructure in away-from-home environments, and business intelligence to compile baseline information on recycling behaviour. As demonstrated in the following pages of the 2021 annual report, and despite many challenges along the way, CBCRA has continued to succeed and grow. Together with our dedicated team of staff and board members, I’m proud of what we have accomplished together and all that is yet to come.