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Bottle Deposit Refund Calculator

Don't throw away free money! Calculate exactly how much cash you'll get back for returning your empty cans, bottles, and jugs.

Estimated Cash Refund
$0.00
From 0 total containers saved from landfill
Where to Return The Beer Store
General Rate Applied 10¢ Small / 20¢ Large
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Details

How the deposit system works: When you buy a beverage in Canada, a "deposit fee" (usually 10¢ to 25¢) is automatically added to your bill at the cash register. This is not a tax! It is a deposit that you get 100% back when you return the empty container to a designated recycling depot. If you throw these in your home recycling bin, you are literally throwing your own cash away!

Canada Bottle Deposit Refund Calculator: Empty Can Cash Back

♻️ 2026 Recycling Alert: Did you know you are paying a hidden deposit fee every time you buy beverages in Canada? From 10¢ for a standard beer can to 25¢ for large wine/liquor glass bottles, that money is yours to claim back! With Quebec recently expanding its “Consigne” system to include all water and wine bottles, and Ontario continuing its massive ODRP program via The Beer Store, returning your “empties” is the easiest way to put tax-free cash back in your pocket.

Whether you are cleaning up after a massive backyard BBQ, managing a restaurant, or just doing your monthly household recycling, throwing your empty bottles in the blue bin means you are literally throwing away money. In Canada, when you purchase certain beverages, a mandatory deposit is added to the checkout price. You get 100% of this money back when you return the empty containers to an approved depot. Our Bottle Deposit Refund Calculator helps you instantly estimate your cash payout based on the size, material, and your specific provincial return rates (such as Ontario’s Beer Store, BC’s Return-It, or Alberta’s Depots).

How to Maximize Your Empties Payout

Don’t hold up the line at the depot! Follow these steps to sort your returns and get your cash fast:

  1. Know Your Province’s Rules: The rules vary wildly. In Ontario, only alcohol containers (beer, wine, spirits) purchased at the LCBO or Beer Store are eligible for a refund. In BC, Alberta, and Quebec, almost ALL beverage containers (water, juice, soda, and even milk) yield a refund.
  2. Sort by Size & Material: Depots pay out based on volume. Generally, containers under 1 Litre (like standard 355ml beer cans) pay out 10 cents. Large containers over 1 Litre (like big wine bottles or 2L sodas) often pay out 20 or 25 cents.
  3. Keep the Barcode Intact: Do not aggressively crush your cans! Many modern depots use automated counting machines or barcode scanners. If the machine cannot read the barcode, it may reject the can.
  4. Group Your Returns: Sort your empties at home into separate boxes: Glass with Glass, Cans with Cans, and Plastics with Plastics. This speeds up the counting process and ensures the staff gives you the exact cash you are owed.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much money do I get for returning empties at The Beer Store in Ontario?
Under the Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP), containers that hold 630ml or less (like standard beer cans and small bottles) give you a 10¢ refund. Containers over 630ml (like large wine and liquor bottles) give you a 20¢ refund. You can return glass, PET plastic, tetra paks, and bag-in-box containers, as long as they originally contained alcohol.
2. Can I get a refund for water bottles and pop cans in Ontario?
No. Unlike most other Canadian provinces, Ontario does not have a deposit system for non-alcoholic beverages. Water bottles, soda cans, and juice boxes must go into your municipal Blue Bin for standard recycling, and you will not receive a cash refund for them.
3. What is the newly expanded Quebec “Consigne” system?
Quebec recently modernized its deposit-refund system. Now, almost all ready-to-drink beverage containers from 100ml to 2 Litres are refundable. This includes beer, soda, water, juice, and wine. Most aluminum and plastic containers offer a 10¢ refund, while large glass bottles (like wine and spirits) offer a 25¢ refund.
4. Should I crush my aluminum cans before returning them?
It is highly recommended that you leave your cans uncrushed. Provinces like BC and Quebec use automated reverse vending machines that need to scan the shape and barcode of the can. While manual counters at some Ontario Beer Stores might accept lightly crushed cans, flatly crushed cans are often rejected because their origin cannot be verified.
5. Do I need a receipt to return empty bottles in Canada?
No, you do not need a purchase receipt to return empty beverage containers. The deposit is tied to the physical container itself. As long as the container has a Canadian return label or barcode and is returned in the correct province, the depot will hand you cash on the spot.

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