TheCanadian province of Prince Edward Island (pop. 136,000), pursuant to the Litter Control Regulations under the Environment Protection Act, all flavoured carbonated beverages must be sold in refillable bottles. banned non-refillable soft drink bottles in 1977, and soft drink cans in 1984. The island’s government decided that in addition to preventing litter on the beautiful resort island and avoiding the use of plastics, the ban would preserve a local bottling business and the associated jobs. The island also had a local glass recycling plant but no local aluminum recycling plant.
Today, the return rate on Prince Edward Island’s soft drink and beer containers stands at close to 98 percent. This is the highest in North America and has not been seen elsewhere since the 1950s, when local bottlers and deposit-return systems were the norm.
More Information:
- Prince Edward Island Government Home Page
- Refillable Beverage Containers: A retailers’ guide to the regulations – from PEI Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Department
- PEI’s Environment Protection Act
