The Beer Store takes back all alcohol primary and secondary packaging sold across the province, including bottles, cans, kegs, cardboard packaging, bottle caps and plastic rings. The Beer Store also accepts all empty containers under the Ontario Deposit Return Program, including all alcoholic beverage containers sold in Ontario.
Where to take empties?
For now, it’s unclear whether customers will have a convenient empty return option if their local Beer Store closes. The best bet appears to be commuting to the next closest Beer Store retail outlet.
Alternatively, you could hold on to your empties and donate them to a fundraising drive in your community. Many community groups, such as Rotary clubs, the Knights of Columbus and local sports teams, hold bottle and can collection events.
Metroland has reached out to The Beer Store to ask what options consumers may have for empty container returns following the next round of Beer Store closures.
I don’t think it is legally considered a tax, considering the fee is always exchangeable. Many European countries also do not need to list the return cost on the shelf price (but all taxes must be included).
From memory though, there is often a small byline to the price, which states the returnable fee for the bottle/crate etc.
Edit: but that doesn’t change the fact you should be salty about the store not taking the bottles back.
I was kinda mixing 2 topics. The bottle thing is just a few as I stated.
The tax is just tax, Ontario tax. Lbco and beer store USED to bundle the tax into the sticker price, but since corner stores they removed the tax so things LOOK cheaper even though it’s actually more expensive at the corner stores. I want them to force all companies to show the tax included in all products.