Section 6 Deposits, Refunds and Recovery Rates
- Detailed statistics on the weight and number of containers recovered.
- Summary of overall units recycled, and the per capita statistics.
6.1 Deposit Change
As an industry-owned not-for-profit stewardship agency, Encorp is responsible for managing BC’s beverage container deposit and recycling system, including implementing deposit changes.
Encorp has been operating BC’s beverage container system for 26 years, providing a convenient, efficient and environmentally sustainable network for everyone in BC. Each year, we continue to refine the system and find ways to improve the recovery rate even further. Diverting beverage containers from landfills, oceans and waterways remains one of Encorp’s highest priorities; this goal has been an increasing important part of our mandate over the years.
On October 1, 2020 the deposit for all ready-to-drink beverage containers containing soft drinks, juice, water, energy and sports drinks over 1 litre in size changed from 20 cents to 10 cents. Following the 2019 increase of the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, this change supported plans to unify the deposit for all beverage containers to 10 cents, enabling Encorp to explore automation technology solutions and implement other changes to reduce the complexity and cost of the system, making it even easier for consumers to recycle all their beverage containers – regardless of size.
Encorp led the change in deposit rates to ensure the increase was managed efficiently and effectively for all British Columbians and the businesses that were impacted by this change. The announcement was made public through a press release in July 2020, followed by a second announcement in September 2020. Consumers were given a transition period to return beverage containers purchased before the deposit change and receive their full deposit refund. A short but effective marketing campaign throughout BC that included TV, radio, online video, newsprint and social media communicated the change across a broad audience.
- TV, Radio, and Pre-Roll
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TV
One 15-second TV spot was created to let viewers know about the deposit increase for beverage containers in BC. The spot was broadcast on premium channels like Global TV, CTV and CBC across the province.
Total impressions: 3,624,300
Radio
One 10-second radio spot was created to announce the change. The spot ran in the Lower Mainland and the Capital Regional District.
Total impressions: 6,397,000
Pre-Roll
Our 15-second spot ran on streaming platforms, including YouTube, Bell Media, Rogers Network, Corus Entertainment, CBC and Tremor Video.
Total impressions: 661,702
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Social media posts were shared through all of our networks and boosted with the objective of informing users of the system change and where they could find more information.
Total Impressions: 2,046,821
- Newspaper
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Eight newspaper insertions were published across the major Vancouver and Victoria publications, with 1⁄4-page, full-colour ads. Newspapers included Vancouver Sun, The Province, Victoria Times Colonist and Globe & Mail.
Total Impressions: 1,836,330
6.2 Recycling By the Numbers
We prevented over 1 billion containers from going to landfills in 2020, ensuring that they were recycled into useful new materials and products. That’s a big win for British Columbia’s environment.
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
Recovery by Weight
In 2020, Encorp Pacific recovered over 89.98 thousand metric tonnes of containers.
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
6.3 Regional Per Capita Returns
| Provincial Totals: | |
|---|---|
| Units Returned | 1,038,180,271 |
| Weight Collected (Tonnes) | 89,976.0 |
| Per Capita Units Returned | 201.7 |
| Per Capita Weight Collected (Kilograms) | 17.5 |
Regional Breakdown:
Note: Calculations may show slight variances due to rounding.
