Stewardship Plan

As the designated producer responsibility organization (PRO) responsible for operating and managing Prince Edward Island’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program regarding beverage containers—effective April 1, 2026—Encorp has fulfilled its regulatory obligation by submitting a Stewardship Plan to the PEI Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. This plan, approved in fall 2025, is now available to all stakeholders.

Read our Stewardship Plan here. 

Latest News

• October 28, 2025: PEI Transition to EPR for Beverage Containers — Deposit/Refund Structure, CRF Rates & Other Key Updates
• August 28, 2025: Upcoming Transition to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Beverage Containers in Prince Edward Island

FAQ

(Last updated: December 3, 2025)

What is changing in Prince Edward Island (PEI)?
PEI is transitioning its Beverage Container Program to an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, effective April 1, 2026. Under this system, beverage producers will be responsible for funding and managing the collection and recycling of their post-consumer beverage containers.

Why is Encorp involved?
Encorp was established in 2023 to support producers in meeting EPR obligations in New Brunswick (NB). Encorp successfully led NB’s transition to EPR for beverage containers on April 1, 2024, and is now working with the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action and other stakeholders to do the same in PEI.

Does Encorp have an approved Stewardship Plan?
Yes. Encorp submitted its Stewardship Plan for PEI in September 2025 to the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. The plan has been approved and outlines how Encorp will manage collection, recycling, awareness/education, and reporting for beverage containers under the new EPR program. A link to view/download the Stewardship Plan is posted towards the top of this webpage.

Will I need an agreement with Encorp for PEI?
Beverage producers will be able to appoint Encorp as their agent/producer responsibility organization (PRO) by signing an official agreement that assigns Encorp the responsibility for fulfilling certain EPR obligations on their behalf. Registrations with Encorp will open in January 2026, and a complete information package, including guidelines and consumer education materials for retailers, will be available to producers at that time.

• If you are already registered with Encorp for another EPR Program (i.e., the EPR Program in  NB), you will need to appoint Encorp as your agent/PRO in PEI by signing an amended Producer Agreement.
• If you are registering with Encorp for the first time, you will need to sign a Producer Agreement with Encorp. Encorp will assign you a producer number, as well as login credentials to its Beverage Industry Portal, enter your company information in its database, and return the executed agreement for your records.

When does the new EPR program start?
The new EPR program will launch on April 1, 2026, as confirmed in PEI’s recently revised Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations. 

What will program fees look like?
The program will transition to a full deposit-refund structure, as stated in PEI’s Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations. In addition, a container recycling fee (CRF) will be introduced by material type and charged by Encorp to producers to cover the net costs of collection, transportation, and processing of post-consumer beverage containers. As of October 28, 2025, Encorp has confirmed the deposit-refund structure and CRF rates for PEI, which will take effect on April 1, 2026. 

Which beverage products will be subject to deposits and CRFs?
Containers for products that meet the definition of “beverage” under PEI’s Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations will be subject to a deposit and CRF. The Regulations define a beverage as: “a ready-to-serve liquid that is intended for human consumption, but does not include milk, plant-based milk product alternatives that are fortified and a source of protein, unprocessed apple cider, concentrated drinks, infant formula, meal replacements, or formulated liquid diets.” This definition is identical to the one used in NB, for consistency and harmonization across Atlantic Provinces. 

Will milk be included?
No. PEI’s Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations define “beverage” as “a ready-to-serve liquid that is intended for human consumption, but does not include milk, plant-based milk product alternatives that are fortified and a source of protein, unprocessed apple cider, concentrated drinks, infant formula, meal replacements or formulated liquid diets.”

Will retailers be able to show the container recycling fee (CRF) on consumer receipts?
Under PEI’s EPR Regulation, producers will not be required to internalize CRF costs (unlike in NB). Producers/retailers that wish to pass on CRF costs to consumers may choose to internalize these fees or display them separately.

Encorp will provide additional guidance early in 2026, including recommended messaging that retailers can use when communicating with consumers about CRFs.

Will tax be applied to the CRF?
Yes, the CRF will be subject to PEI’s Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), regardless of whether the beverage itself is taxable or non-taxable. HST will be calculated at 15% on top of the CRF amounts.

Will tax be applied to beverage container deposits?
No. Tax can only be applied to deposit portions not refunded to consumers. Because the new EPR Program will implement a fully refundable deposit system on April 1, 2026, deposits will no longer be taxable.

Will there be set deadlines for reporting and remitting to Encorp?
Yes. Producers registered with Encorp will be required to report sales and remit deposits and CRFs for all deposit-bearing beverage containers sold in PEI. Encorp will provide producers with a  login credentials and instructions for accessing its online reporting portal. Reports must be submitted within 10 business days after the end of each calendar month for the previous month’s reporting period.

Will there be separate logins and URLs for filing reports and remitting deposits, and CRFs in PEI than NB?
No. You will use the same online portal and the same login credentials for reporting in both provinces. Once registered, you will be able to fill separate remittance reports for each province within Encorp’s existing portal.

• If you are already registered with Encorp for another EPR Program (i.e., the EPR Program in  NB), you will need to appoint Encorp as your agent/PRO in PEI by signing an amended Producer Agreement.
• If you are registering with Encorp for the first time, you will need to sign a Producer Agreement with Encorp. Encorp will assign you a producer number, as well as login credentials to its Beverage Industry Portal, enter your company information in its database, and return the executed agreement for your records.

Will the PEI Program allow Remittance Agreements like in New Brunswick, enabling retailers and wholesalers to sign agreements with producers?
Yes. As in New Brunswick, the new EPR Program in PEI will allow producers to assign another registered producer—some of which may qualify as retailers or importers of beverage products—to report beverage container sales and remit deposits and CRFs to Encorp on their behalf.

To initiate this process, Encorp must be contacted to obtain the official Remittance Agreement document. The agreement must be signed by both parties and submitted to Encorp for review and approval.

How can retailers and first importers determine whether they fit the “producer” definition and will be obligated for certain beverage products?
Each beverage product retailer and importer that sells in or into PEI should be reviewed to identify its source within the distribution chain. Such responsibility will generally apply to retailers and importers for products originating from producers outside Canada.

In PEI’s Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations, a “beverage container producer” means, in respect of a beverage container sold, offered for sale or otherwise distributed in or into the province by:

• a manufacturer of the beverage container,
• a distributor of the beverage container in or into the province,
• where the beverage container is imported into the province, the first person to sell the beverage container in or into the province.

Encorp wouldn’t sign an agreement with a manufacturer who is not in Canada so you must, to the best of your ability, ensure that the distributor or importer of your beverage products into PEI is registered with Encorp.

Which materials will be acceptable for deposit-bearing beverage containers sold in PEI?
The same types of materials accepted by Encorp in NB will also be accepted by Encorp in PEI under the new EPR program. This will help ensure harmonization across Atlantic Provinces and simplify compliance for producers operating in multiple jurisdictions. The accepted materials for beverage containers will be as follows:

• Aluminum containers.
• PET containers marked with the #1 PET (or PETE) resin code.
• HDPE translucent containers marked with the #2 HDPE resin code.
• Non-refillable glass (clear, green, or brown) bottles not intended for reuse.
• Refillable glass (industry-standard brown beer bottles and proprietary refillable bottles) intended to be washed, sterilized, and reused.
• Cartons & polycoat containers (aseptic & gable-top) and boxed wine cartons (bag-in-box).
• Steel beverage containers.
• Other plastics & pouches—opaque HDPE (#2), polypropylene (#5), polystyrene (#6), other plastics (#7), and LDPE (#4) pouches.

What will happen if I sell deposit-bearing beverage products in PEI using container types not on Encorp’s approved list?
Producers will need to use containers made from materials approved by Encorp. These materials will be recyclable and have established end markets, allowing Encorp to process them responsibly.

If a producer uses an unapproved material, beverage container depots will notice because they will follow strict sorting instructions. If they receive a container they cannot process, they will alert Encorp.

At that point, we will identify the producer and work with them to find a temporary solution and transition to approved materials. For example, when NB launched its EPR program, depots reported ceramic beverage containers. Ceramic was not recyclable in our system and had no end market, so it was not on our approved list. We worked with producers to clear existing stock and remove ceramic beverage containers from store shelves. Meanwhile, depots were instructed to accept the containers and refund consumers. Eventually, ceramics disappeared from circulation.

Unfortunately, non-conforming materials will need to be disposed of, as we had to do temporarily with those ceramic containers. This will not be ideal—we will aim to recycle all containers whenever possible. That’s why it will be critical for producers to use materials from Encorp’s approved materials list.

What is a hybrid container?
A hybrid container is made from two different materials fused together. While each material might be recyclable on its own, combining them often makes the container impossible to recycle. For example, a plastic PET bottle with an aluminum top crimped onto it cannot be easily separated, so recycling markets typically reject it. These containers don’t fit neatly into any accepted material category, which is why they’re often excluded from recycling streams.

Will there be special labelling requirements for deposit-bearing beverage containers?
As in other Canadian provinces/territories, all deposit-bearing beverage products will need to carry a refund notice on their label advising consumers that the empty container carries a refund value. Bilingual labels, in English and French, will be mandatory for beverages sold in PEI, as required by the federal Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act for all consumer products sold across Canada. This federal law supersedes any provincial-level regulations.

Producers will be able to choose the size and location of this refund notice. However, the refund notice will have to be located on the container where it is readily visible and remain on the container when empty. (Note that the refund notice will not need to be included on the outer wrapping for multi-packs.)

Examples of appropriate labelling include, but are not limited to, the following. Multiple variations of wording will be acceptable, provided the concept of a refund is evident.

• Return for refund where applicable / Consigné là où prescript
• Refund where applicable / Consigné là où prescrit
• Return for refund where applicable / Retourner pour remboursement là où applicable

Will the recycle symbol be enough?
No. The recycling symbol alone will not meet the labelling requirements. Each deposit-bearing beverage container will also need to display a clear, bilingual refund notice indicating that the empty container is eligible for a deposit refund.

Is Encorp going to provide retailers in PEI with public-facing consumer materials?
Yes. Encorp has partnered with the Dunne Group, a Charlottetown, PEI-based firm active in marketing communications, government relations, and stakeholder advocacy in Atlantic Canada. Encorp’s communications team is currently working with the Dunne Group to develop a coordinated public education campaign that will include a website, social media accounts, and materials for retailers to use, including flyers, PA system scripts, and shelf talkers.

What are the next steps?

• Producers will receive instructions regarding registration/signing agreements and program fee reporting/remittance procedures with Encorp in January 2026.
• A second informational webinar will be held on February 26, 2026 at 1pm (AST).
• Consumer education and outreach will begin in April 2026, with major advertising campaigns scheduled for early summer and again in the fall.

Where can I get more information?
Encorp will continue to provide regular updates as we near the April 1, 2026, start date of the new EPR Program. In the meantime, you may contact us at 1-877-389-7320 or [email protected]. For the latest updates, visit the dedicated PEI EPR Program webpage on Encorp’s website via the Beverage Industry menu at encorpatl.ca.

Assigning Encorp as Your PRO in PEI for Managing Your Deposit-Bearing Beverage Containers

(Coming Soon – January 2026)

• Registration with Encorp
• Information kit for producers
• Retail toolkit/consumer education