Frequently Asked Questions

There are two ways to get a refund for returnable containers: 

• Cash refund: You can get the value of your deposits refunded in cash at a self-serve kiosk when you bring your containers to a return site.  

• Refund via e-transfer: You can get the value of your deposits refunded electronically through the secure Consignaction app. 

Download the app: Apple / Google 

Yes. Retailers are obliged to indicate the amount of the deposit on the sales receipt. More precisely: “The amount of the deposit must also appear on the invoice for the person who purchases the product, on a line just below the line indicating the amount of the sale.”

To learn more, read Article 52 of the Regulation Respecting the Development, Implementation and Financial Support of a Deposit-Refund System For Certain Containers.

You can download the app from our website https://consignaction.ca/en/lieux-de-retour/ or you can get it from your smartphone’s application store, depending on the type of phone: Google Play or Apple Store.  

To find the return site nearest you, see the return site map. 

Yes. Kiosks are open the same days and times as the retailer they are located in, due to regulatory requirements. 

Here are the main reasons why some retailers no longer accept these containers: 

• Retailers with a sales area of 375 m2 (4,036 ft2) or less (e.g., small grocery or convenience store) are no longer required to take returnable beverage containers.  

• Other retailers no longer accept returnable containers because they are grouped with another return site located nearby, so are no longer required to offer the service themselves.  

• Some retailers who used to participate in the recovery of returnable beverage containers have now opted out.  

A kiosk is an outdoor facility equipped with reverse vending machines, located close to a retailer’s main building, e.g., in the parking lot. People can drop off their redeemable beverage containers there, except for redeemable beer bottles (MFCs), which must be taken to the service counter inside. Kiosks are branded with the Consignaction colours and the Zone Consignaction symbol :

The service provided at a Zone Consignaction return point is:

• Single-Unit Return: via reverse vending machines or at the customer service counter.

To learn more about the different types of return site and the services they provide, read Fact Sheet 4.

The services provided at a Consignaction return site are:

• Single-Unit Return: Deposit-return beverage containers one by one via next-generation automated reverse vending machines. via reverse vending machines.
• Express Return: Drop-off clear bags containing unsoreted of deposit-return containers.
  • Containers are counted later, and the refund is issued via electronic transfer.
  • Important: This service requires the Consignaction mobile app.

To learn more about the different types of return site and the services they provide, read Fact Sheet 4.

The services provided at a Consignaction return site are:

• Single-Unit Return: Deposit-return beverage containers one by one via next-generation automated reverse vending machines. via reverse vending machines.
• Express Return: Drop-off clear bags containing unsoreted of deposit-return containers.
  • Containers are counted later, and the refund is issued via electronic transfer.
  • Important: This service requires the Consignaction mobile app.
• Bulk Return : Drop-off large quantities of unsorted deposit-return containers.

To learn more about the different types of return site and the services they provide, read Fact Sheet 4.

There are several types of return sites for your deposit-refund containers in Quebec: 

• Zone Consignaction: These kiosks are designated areas located inside participating retailers. 

• Consignaction: These return sites accept Single-Unit Returns and Express Returns.  

• Consignaction+: These return sites accept Single-Unit Returns, Express Returns and Bulk Returns.  

To find out what services are offered at each site and find the return site nearest you, see the Consignaction return site map. 

To guarantee maximum precision, high-tech equipment individually counts all containers dropped off for an Express Return. 

If your refund amount seems incorrect, it may be because some containers were not recognized. Here are the steps to take to avoid this type of situation: 

• Do not crush or deform the containers. 

• Do not include very soiled containers. 

• Leave the labels on plastic bottles, because they contain the barcode. 

You can also check the List of returnable beverage containers to make sure your containers are eligible for a refund. Some products, like Yoplait or Ensure, are not eligible for a deposit-refund because they are considered foods rather than beverages.  

No. There is no cost to use the Express Return option. The full deposit refund for your eligible containers is deposited into your account in the Consignaction app once the bags have been processed.

 In Quebec, the following beverage containers can be returned for a refund: 

• Ready-to-drink aluminum beverage cans of 100 ml to 2 L 

• Ready-to drink plastic beverage containers of 100 ml to 2 L 

• Glass soft drink and beer bottles  

See which containers are returnable and which ones aren’t on the page Targeted and non-targeted containers. Also see the List of returnable beverage containers. 

In Quebec, non-redeemable beverage containers include:

• Glass bottles of wine and spirits (redeemable in 2027)
• Cartons of juice, milk and other beverages (redeemable in 2027)
• Drinkable yogurt and meal supplements
• Family-size canned juices and cans
• All beverage containers of LESS THAN 100 mL and MORE THAN 2 L, regardless of material

To find out which beverage containers are redeemable and which are not, see the page Targeted and non-targeted containers on the website or the List of returnable beverage containers and deposit-refund.

No. Wine bottles are not currently covered by the deposit-refund system. 

However, they will be included in Phase 3 of the program expansion, planned for March 2027. 

It is not necessary to wash containers before bringing them back. However, they must be emptied of their contents to facilitate handling and processing. We strongly recommend rinsing the containers to reduce the risk of contamination and foul odours.

Yes.At Consignaction and Consignaction+ sites, plastic, aluminum and glass containers can all be put in the same bag.  

No. At Zone Consignaction kiosks at participating retailers, containers must be sorted by material. 

 Yes. The eligible containers collected can be returned to a Consignaction site to get the applicable refund. Please note that a limit of 10 bags per visit/day can be returned to a Consignaction site, and a limit of 20 bags per day to a Consignaction+ site. 

Nonprofit and charitable organizations and social economy enterprises may be eligible for free supplies. You can make a request by filling out the appropriate form. 

If you anticipate returning more than 20 bags, we recommend that you contact us well before holding your activity, at ecsp@consignaction.ca. Our team will help you organize your container return. 

You can order Consignaction transparent bags and Coroplast (corrugated polypropylene) boxes at our online store. 

If your organization is a nonprofit corporation, a charity or a social or solidarity economy enterprise, you may be eligible to receive free supplies. You can make a request by filling out the appropriate form. 

Bags of returnable bottles collected by organizations for a fundraiser are not accepted by retailers. The citizens or organization in charge of the collection must bring the bags to a Consignaction (max 10 bags) or Consignaction+ (max 20 bags) site. See the map of return sites.  

If you anticipate collecting more than 20 bags of returnable containers, we recommend that you contact us well in advance of your event at ecsp@consignaction.ca. Our team can advise you and offer tailored solutions. 

Deposit refund is a method of recycling in which an amount is collected temporarily when a container is sold. This deposit encourages citizens to bring their containers back to a return site to get a refund. Citizens only lose the deposit if they choose not to return the container for a refund. 
 
Recycling beverage containers is a way of taking action to protect the environment. Sorting containers by type of material and processing them in a closed-loop system reserved for returnable containers ensures that 100% of these containers are recycled.

A deposit-refund system for beverage containers means:

• Helping to care for our environment and the planet:
  • Less waste ends up in nature and landfills;
  • Our reliance on raw materials is reduced;
  • There are energy savings compared with extraction, transportation and processing of raw materials for manufacturing of beverage containers;
  • Our environmental footprint is reduced.

• Better-quality materials:
  • The materials recycling process is more efficient and cleaner;
  • The quantity of unwanted residual materials is reduced;
  • There is less sorting to do for the packers;
  • Recovered materials’ resale value is higher.

• Economic benefits, for example through:
  • The creation of thousands of jobs across Quebec;
  • The development of new materials-recycling channels;
  • Innovation in a growth sector;
  • Support for social economy organizations.

Consignaction is the official emblem of deposit-refund in Quebec and the brand used to promote the operations of the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association (QBCRA) to the general public and stakeholders. Consignaction programs have promoted recovery to citizens and companies since 2001.

The system has been in place since 1984 and no longer meets current needs. It’s being updated to recycle more beverage containers, improve the quality of recycled materials and make it simpler to return containers. 

Here are the major changes: 

• Making more containers returnable 
• Standardizing the deposit at 10 cents for most containers
• Gradually adding plastic containers, then glass and then multi-layer cardboard
• Creating a modernized network of return sites, including Consignaction sites, Consignaction+ sites and Zone Consignaction kiosks at participating retailers 

The goal is to recycle 90% of returnable containers by 2032 and to better recover materials to lessen their impact on the environment. 

See: Fact Sheet 1 – Key Stages in the Modernization of Deposit-Refund System in Quebec.

After containers are dropped off at a return site, they begin their journey toward recycling. Depending on the material (aluminum, plastic or glass), the containers will become other beverage containers or find another use. To learn more about containers’ recycling journey from store shelf to recycling plant, click “The container’s journey.”

Since October 2022, the QBCRA has been the government’s designated management body (DMB) for the beverage container deposit-refund system.

The QBCRA is responsible for the development, implementation, financing and management of the modernized deposit-refund system, in line with the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The QBCRA acts on behalf of the beverage producers involved in the recovery, reuse, recycling and reclamation of beverage containers in Quebec.

If a retailer is targeted by the Regulation, its main obligations are to:

• Register with the QBCRA/Consignaction by creating an account on the Retailers portal.
• Accept returns of all redeemable beverage containers and refund the amount of the deposit, regardless of where the containers were purchased.
• Display the amount of the deposit where beverages in redeemable containers are sold.
• Post a sign at the entrance to the business stating that it is a redeemable beverage container return site.

To learn more, read Article 45 and following of the Regulation Respecting the Development, Implementation and Financial Support of a Deposit-Refund System For Certain Containers.

If a retailer is not targeted by the Regulation or is part of a grouping of retailers, its main obligations are to:

• Display the amount of the deposit where beverages in redeemable containers are sold.
• Post, inside or at the entrance to the business, the address of the nearest return site.

To learn more, read Article 53 of the Regulation Respecting the Development, Implementation and Financial Support of a Deposit-Refund System For Certain Containers.

A social economy enterprise can request free Consignaction boxes by contacting QBCRA Customer Service at 1 877 CANETTE (1 877 226-3883), or using the e-mail address reserved for them, economiesociale@consignaction.ca.

A social economy enterprise that accumulates at least 5 bags of redeemable beverage containers is entitled to collection service. For more information, please e-mail economiesociale@consignaction.ca.

To find out the value of bags and crates of redeemable beverage containers, see the table of bag values at the bottom of the Store page.

For a given month, the refund is issued by the QBCRA or the designated recovery operator for the establishment. The refund is issued within approximately 15 working days after the end of the month or at any other interval agreed upon between the recovery operator and the establishment.

The payment method (bank transfer or cheque) is determined by the QBCRA or the recovery operator, and may be subject to change. No cash refunds are issued.

Only a permanent retailer can host a kiosk. To do so, the retailer must meet certain criteria set by the QBCRA in collaboration with the food retailer industry, including a criterion concerning the estimated volume of redeemable beverage containers.

For the past several months, a QBCRA team has been travelling throughout Quebec to meet the permanent retailers concerned and determine their redeemable beverage container recovery needs. When the kiosk recovery option is chosen, the QBCRA team handles all stages of implementation. All costs for equipment purchases and construction of the kiosk are borne by the QBCRA. Permanent retailers who want to know more should contact QBCRA Customer Service at 1 877 CANETTE (1 877 226-3883), ext. 2 or using the e-mail address reserved for retailers, detaillants@consignaction.ca.

Many players have an interest in deposit-refund. Citizens, non-profit organizations and other types of organization recognize the economic, social and environmental benefits of recovering redeemable beverage containers.

In 2024, the QBCRA conducted three projects in collaboration with social economy enterprises to better determine their needs and identify strategies for encouraging them to participate in the deposit-refund system. Three orientations were decided upon following these meetings:

1. Find and maintain employment for people with disabilities;
2. Foster active participation by social economy enterprises in the collection and management of redeemable beverage containers;
3. Mitigate the impacts of social precarity and exclusion.

Social economy enterprises interested in participating in the modernized deposit-refund system can express interest by completing the questionnaire available on the Social Economy page, or by e-mailing economiesociale@consignaction.ca. The QBCRA will be setting up a register of social economy enterprises that will be available for consultation.