All plastic ready-to-drink beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 l, including bottles of water, sparkling water and juice, as well as all other beverages such as flavored water, spirits, etc., will be subject to a deposit as of this Saturday, March 1, when the second phase of the modernization and expansion of the deposit system in Quebec comes into effect.

With this expansion, all ready-to-drink beverage containers will now be subject to a 10-cent deposit. In all, 1.5 billion plastic bottles will be subject to the deposit.

For citizens, this new measure simplifies and standardizes the deposit system, enabling them to return even more beverage containers to participating grocery stores and Consignaction return locations, and to take concrete action for the environment.  

When will glass be included?

Initially scheduled for March 1, 2025, the extension of the deposit to glass containers such as wine and spirits bottles, as well as multi-layer cardboard containers such as milk and juice cartons, has finally been postponed until March 2027.

This postponement, requested by Environment Minister Benoit Charette in November 2024, was announced after Quebec ordered an administrative inquiry into the Association québécoise de récupération des contenants de boissons (ARQCB).