The container’s journey
In Quebec, a consumer who buys a beverage in a container subject to the public deposit-refund system automatically pays a 10-cent deposit to the retailer. That amount is refunded to them when they return the empty container. Of course, if they don’t return the empty container, they lose the deposit amount.
At the store
The producer sells his container to the retailer and perceives a deposit-refund of 10¢
THE retailer sells its container to the consumer and receives a deposit-refund of 10¢
The consumer returns the container to the retailer and gets a refund of 10¢
The producer takes back the empty containers and reimburses 10¢ to the retailer and pays him a handling bonus
At the conditioner
The producer pays Consignaction the deposit-refund when selling its container to the retailer Step 1).
Consignaction pays the deposit-refund handling fee paid when the item is returned to the retailer Step 4).
The producer sends the empty containers to the packer
The processor sorts the containers by material
The containers are transported to aluminum, plastic or glass recyclers
At the recycling plant
Aluminum foundry for the manufacture of aluminum sheets or coils
Glass recycling plant
Plastic recycling plant
Everything is transformed, nothing is lost.
The infinite life cycle of an aluminum can
