What is the deposit-refund beverage container recycling program?

The Government of Saskatchewan has issued legislation for the recycling of most ready-to-serve, non-refillable beverage containers.  All beverage containers under this legislation are subject to an environmental handling charge and deposit paid at point of purchase.  SARCAN Recycling holds the exclusive contract with the government to recycle these containers.

What is the deposit?

The deposit is an amount charged per beverage container as an incentive to return the container for recycling at SARCAN Recycling.  The full deposit amount is refunded when customers return beverage containers at any SARCAN Recycling depot.  To see deposit values for accepted beverage containers,click here.

What is the Environmental Handling Charge (EHC)?

Upon purchase, a non-refundable Environmental Handling Charge (EHC) is added to the cost of most ready-to-serve, non-refillable beverage containers.  While these charges are consistent throughout the province, how they appear on receipt slips may differ from store to store (some may show the charge separately; others may bury the EHC into the price of the beverage).

The EHC helps finance the cost of SARCAN’s comprehensive province-wide collection, processing, transportation, and marketing recycling system.  Additionally, a portion is used for other environmental initiatives. 

Where can I return my beverage containers?

You can return your beverage containers to any SARCAN Recycling depot in the province.  For a listing of depot locations,click here.

What are SARCAN’s hours of operation?

Hours of operation vary across the province.  For a listing of depot hours of operation,click here.

Which beverage containers are accepted for deposit refund?

SARCAN Recycling collects and recycles most non-refillable, ready-to-serve beverage containers for deposit refund (excluding milk containers).  For a listing of accepted beverage container types, click here.

Why does SARCAN pay a lower refund on beer bottles?

SARCAN can only provide a partial refund of 4¢ for beer bottles (out of the 10¢ deposit).  The balance of the deposit (6¢) is retained to cover SARCAN’s total costs to collect, handle, and transport these containers, since there is no environmental handling charge paid at point of purchase.

Why remove bottle caps?

Bottle caps do not get recycled with bottles because they are made of different materials than the containers themselves.  In order to maximize the value of the recovered materials (and minimize the cost of the system for consumers), “contaminants” must be kept out of the system wherever possible.  Removing the caps at the start of the recycling process is the easiest way to do that.  Plus, if you and our employees do not have to remove them at the depot, you’ll get faster and more efficient service, and you will help us avoid an increase in wrist injuries to our employees.

Why sort beverage containers by material type?

We want to ensure you get the refund you are entitled to.  By sorting your containers beforehand, the counting process is greatly simplified.  This ensures an accurate count and faster, more efficient service.

Should I flatten my aluminum beverage cans before I bring them to SARCAN?

Flattening aluminum beverage cans saves storage space at your home and at SARCAN.  If you are going to flatten the containers, please flatten on side rather than from end to end (like a hockey puck).  There are a couple of reasons for this:  SARCAN needs to be able to read the label to identify it as an approved container, and the “hockey pucks” can cause jams in our equipment.

Why are excessively dirty or broken containers refused?

SARCAN provides a safe and healthy environment for our employees and customers. Broken containers pose an obvious risk to the personal safety of our employees.  Containers that are excessively dirty or contain foreign waste can expose our employees and customers to unknown and potentially dangerous health hazards. 

Why are customer signatures and phone numbers required on tally sheets?

SARCAN Recycling, like any other private enterprise in Saskatchewan, must provide documentation of its business activities to the government.  Customer signatures and phone numbers on our tally sheets prove that we have provided refunds in the event that SARCAN is subject to a financial audit.

Why are customers required to show identification?

SARCAN is only obligated to refund deposits to Saskatchewan residents for beverage containers sold in Saskatchewan.  Denying refunds to non-residents also helps curb the fraudulent movement of out-of-province containers.

Why is there a $75 per person per week refund limit?

Since Manitoba does not provide a deposit refund for its beverage containers, there is a criminal practice of importing such containers into Saskatchewan in order to obtain a fraudulent refund at SARCAN Recycling depots.  The $75 limit stands to help control the movement of out-of-province containers, making this crime less profitable – a crime for which there is a penalty of up to $25,000 in fines and/or a jail term of up to three months.

Are there any exemptions to the $75 per person per week limit?

Yes.  Please refer to SARCAN’s Bulk Return Procedures.

Does SARCAN sell recycling bins?

No, SARCAN does not have bins available for sale at the depot locations.  However, large recycling bins are available for sale through the SARC Store in Saskatoon (you may have to order).  Office supply and big box stores may also have a variety of recycling bins in stock.

What happens to all of the beverage containers?

To see what happens to the beverage containers after they are returned to SARCAN, refer to the Where Does It Go? page.

What happens to all of the beer cases and cardboard boxes that customers bring in?

The beer cases and cardboard boxes that come into the depots are transported to our two processing plants and then baled for shipment to a paper recycling company.

Why is it important to recycle beverage containers?

Saskatchewan has one of the highest return rates in North America with over 84% of beverage container purchased being recycled – that’s great, but there is always room for improvement!  Can you imagine what our landfills would look like if those beverage containers were not being recycled?

There are so many great reasons to recycle your beverage containers:

• It helps protect the environment by keeping waste out of our landfills
• The materials are recycled into many useful products – to learn more, click here
• By returning your containers and keeping SARCAN a busy place, you are supporting employment for people of all abilities