Beverage Container Program
What can be recycled
- Glass bottles
- Aluminum cans
- Plastic bottles
- Tetra packs/drink pouches (e.g. juice box)
- Gable top containers (e.g. milk carton)
- Bi-metal containers (e.g. tomato juice tin)
What CAN’T be recycled
- Containers for infant formula
- Containers for liquid milk products smaller than 30 ml
- Powdered milk
- Containers sold empty
- Open containers filled with a drink when sold
Understand How the Program Works
The Beverage Container Program has a network of community depots reporting to three regional processing centres in Yellowknife, Hay River and Inuvik. The depots are operated by businesses, schools, community governments and individuals. The BCP employs 10 fulltime and 31 part-time staff across the NWT.
The depots collect beverage containers, pay refundable deposits to NWT residents and send beverage containers to regional processing centres in Yellowknife, Hay River and Inuvik.
Regional processing centres sort and bale beverage containers. The baled containers are shipped to recycling facilities in Alberta and the United States.
Recycle Without a Local Depot
The Government of the Northwest Territories has committed to making sure temporary depots are operated in communities without a local depot operator. This helps make sure all residents can return empty beverage containers and obtain their refundable deposit in their own community.
Prepare Your Containers for Refund
You will not receive a refund for contaminated containers, so make sure to rinse all containers!
Get Your Deposit Back
A fully refundable deposit is applied to each beverage container sold in the NWT. The refundable deposit is returned to the consumer when the beverage container is returned to a community depot.
A non-refundable handling fee is also applied to each beverage container. The fee varies according to the size and type of beverage container. These fees are based on the estimated costs to collect, process and transport beverage containers and to administer the program.
Beverage container deposits not claimed for refund are factored into calculations to set container surcharges, and also go toward covering program costs and improvements.
Money raised through the program goes into the Environment Fund, a special purpose fund set up under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act. This fund is used to cover program expenses and improve waste reduction and recovery programs.
| Beverage Container Categories | Surcharge | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume | Type | Refundable deposit (A) | Container recycling fee (B) | Total surcharge per container (A) + (B) |
| ≤ 1 L | Glass | $0.10 | $0.13 | $0.23 |
| Aluminum | $0.10 | $0.08 | $0.18 | |
| Plastic | $0.10 | $0.08 | $0.18 | |
| Tetra Pack/ Drink Pouch | $0.10 | $0.05 | $0.15 | |
| Gable top | $0.10 | $0.05 | $0.15 | |
| Bi-metal | $0.10 | $0.05 | $0.15 | |
| Refillable glass bottles | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.20 | |
| > 1 L | Glass | $0.25 | $0.13 | $0.38 |
| Plastic | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.35 | |
| Tetra Pk/Drink Pouch | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.35 | |
| Gable top | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.35 | |
| Bi-metal | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.35 | |
| Bag-in-a-box | $0.25 | $0.10 | $0.35 | |
Yellowknife & Hay River: Use Drop and Go for Faster Service
Make your visit to the bottle depot quick and effortless by using Drop and Go! Register for a Drop and Go account, then simply drop your bags and boxes of beverage containers and go!
Make an account
To get started, create a Drop and Go account by registering at the Yellowknife or Hay River Beverage Container Depot. Ask the depot operator how to register for an account.
Drop and Go
At the Yellowknife or Hay River Beverage Container Depot, visit the Drop and Go kiosk to sign into your account. Follow the instructions to print labels. Attach one (1) label to each bag or box of beverage containers. Drop off your beverage containers for later processing, and go!
Collect Your Cash
You will receive an email within five (5) business days confirming that your beverage containers have been counted and your refund has been credited to your account. Visit your Beverage Container Depot to collect your refund at a time that works for
Learn What Happens to Your Recyclables
Containers dropped off at NWT depots are shipped to recycling centres in Canada and the U.S., where they are transformed into other items. Some simply become a new beverage container, while others can be made into clothing, carpeting and even fiberglass insulation for your home.
Donate Your Refund to Charity
It's easy:
Bring in your beverage containers
Bring your beverage containers to container depots in Yellowknife, Hay River or Inuvik.
Visit the Drop and Go kiosk
Follow the instructions to print labels for the charity of your choice (look for an account number posted near the kiosk).
Attach labels to bags or boxes of beverage containers
Drop and go
Leave your containers for later processing, and go!
The refunds from your containers will be donated to the charity of your choice.
If you are collecting bottles for your group or organization, please contact us at rethinkitnwt@gov.nt.ca to help spread the word!
Quick Facts
- Over 410 million beverage containers have been recycled since the program started.
- Since 2010, more than 76 million single-use retail bags have been kept out of NWT landfills and off the land.
- 500 tonnes of electronics have been collected for recycling since 2016.
- Since 2005, Northerners have recycled over 410 million beverage containers. This past year alone, 2,226 tonnes of carbon dioxide was avoided, the same as taking 484 cars off the road.