On April 1, 2024, the New Brunswick Beverage Containers Program shifted to an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model. Encorp Atlantic is the not-for-profit organization managing the program for the over 300 brand owners who sell/distribute beverage products in the province. As a result of this change, Encorp Atlantic has set higher recovery targets for used beverage containers.
We believe that all New Brunswickers share this commitment and want to do the right thing—recycle! We recognize that to do this, we need to make recycling more accessible and convenient.
One major incentive to improve public participation in recycling is the increased financial benefits of returning beverage containers. Providing full refunds on beverage container deposits since April 1, 2024, has led to significant volume increases at redemption centres and more money in New Brunswickers’ pockets.
We’re dedicated to modernizing the beverage container return/recycle experience by making it more accessible in public spaces such as schools, reducing littering in outdoor areas, and offering better incentives to consumers to recycle their empty containers.
Negotiations with redemption centre owners are resulting in a new contract which will ensure financial stability for these small businesses through an increase in fees paid by Encorp and a subsidy for the most vulnerable small/rural centres. It includes a five-year service agreement, not two, as has been reported in some media. It will also improve accessibility for consumers, with increased Saturday hours.
It is unfortunate that a few redemption centres (currently, three out of the network of 69 locations) have announced they will be closing down, and we understand the concern in the affected communities. We have talked with potential providers in those communities and should be in a position to announce redemption centre solutions in those communities in the very near future.
We’re listening and committed to making things better for our redemption centres and their customers. Our goal is a clean, green future, with beverage container recycling made simple for all New Brunswickers.
Pierre Landry, CEO
Encorp Atlantic
