Cost of Quebec's container deposit system to jump to $450 million

Costs rise from $308 million this year to $450 million next year, up 45 per cent, according to a document from Consignaction, the non-profit that runs the system.

Quebec

From Mar 1, 2027, wine and spirits bottles and multilayer cartons, such as milk and juice cartons, join the system: nearly a billion more containers.

Producer fees per container

• Plastic bottles: 4 to 7 cents
• Glass under 500 ml: 4 to 8 cents
• Glass over 500 ml: 4 to 13 cents

Producers will pay half the cost, $225 million, as their fees per container rise in March. The deposit refund itself does not change.

One way or another, it's the consumer who will pay.

— Karel Ménard, Quebec waste-management group

Consignaction is building a $60 million glass plant in Sorel-Tracy, though two processors that already treat glass say they could do the work.