Are Your Products Properly Labelled?

Distributors of beverage products in New Brunswick are required to complete the New Brunswick Department of Environment and Local Government’s (DELG) Beverage Container Registration Form for the beverage products they sell which are included in the New Brunswick Beverage Containers Program (BCP).

Redemption centres sometimes refer to the official list of registered deposit-bearing products to check the eligibility of certain products – especially if the product is new and unfamiliar – so it is important to remember to register any new deposit-bearing beverage products you are selling in New Brunswick.

When registering a new product, distributors are also required by DELG to submit a sample of proper labelling advising consumers that the empty container carries a refund value. Proper labelling is important in New Brunswick, especially regarding the languages featured on the label. Due to bilingualism laws in the province, each deposit-bearing beverage container must carry the “Return for Refund” message in English and French. Multiple variations of wording are acceptable provided the concept of a refund is evident. Encorp has recently seen imported beverage products on store shelves without the bilingual “Return for Refund” message for which stores are charging consumers a deposit. This raises a red flag at New Brunswick redemption centres when consumers return the empty container to be recycled since the lack of a bilingual message is often the first indication that the product may not have been purchased in New Brunswick and is thus not eligible for a refund. If the product was indeed purchased in New Brunswick, customers are left frustrated when denied their deposit refund.

Furthermore, the “Return for Refund” message must be placed on the container somewhere that is readily visible, and it must be on the container when it is empty. In other words, it cannot be placed on a lid that is discarded when the container is opened. Front labels, back labels, can tops, necks, inkjet on the container, imprints moulded into the container and adhesive stickers are all acceptable.

If not already done so, we encourage you to review DELG’s Labelling Requirements. Double-check your products, especially any imported from outside Canada, since they are most likely to have labelling that
differs from common/standard labelling practices accepted in most Canadian provinces.

More information – as well as links to the Beverage Container Registration Form and other forms from DELG for distributors – are available on Encorp’s website at encorpatl.ca (look for the “Registering and Selling Beverage Products in New Brunswick” page under the “Distributors” menu).

© 2024 Encorp Atlantic        506-389-7320 | 1-877-389-7320 | info@encorpatl.ca

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