MONCTON, NB – APRIL 22, 2024 – To celebrate Earth Day, Encorp Atlantic/Encorp Atlantique (“Encorp”) showcased the province’s new and improved Beverage Containers Program with some youth Recycling Heroes at Rothesay High School.
The Recycling Heroes in School program is one of several Encorp initiatives designed to increase access to beverage container recycling in public spaces. Through this program, Encorp provides schools throughout the province with the necessary tools and support to set up recycling stations in classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias.
On April 1st, 2024, the new Beverage Containers Program in New Brunswick started giving out full refunds on deposits. For over 30 years, New Brunswickers paid deposits on beverage products, receiving only half back when recycling. Now, with full refunds at redemption centres, more money goes back to consumers when they recycle.
“Increasing refund amounts for beverage container deposits is just one strategy to encourage more recycling among New Brunswickers,” said Encorp Atlantic President & CEO Pierre Landry.
Recognizing the need for broader changes, Encorp plans to focus efforts on improving the beverage container return/redemption process in the coming years. “We are looking at various convenient options that could be implemented in communities. We are committed to exploring and investing in strategies meant to enhance access and convenience to recycling,” said Landry
Landry highlighted that the move of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on April 1 has brought many other positive changes, including streamlined administration and logistics as well as reduced sorting requirements for redemption centre operators.
Communications for the Program and recycling education are also being amplified. “We want to get a whole new generation of recyclers to adopt lifelong recycling habits – thanks to our Recycling Heroes in School Program and other Recycling Hero branded community outreach initiatives meant to reach young people, reduce littering, and provide increased access to beverage container recycling in public spaces.”
“Each year, millions of beverage containers are sold in New Brunswick, and far too many end up in landfills or as litter in our communities,” said Frank LeBlanc, CEO of Recycle NB. “We are proud to partner with Encorp and are confident that they will make significant improvements to the Program, which will ultimately benefit both consumers and our environment.”
This shift aligns with other extended producer-responsibility recycling/waste management programs in the province regulated by the Designated Materials Regulation of the Clean Environment Act. Encorp looks forward to driving change and innovation to enhance the recovery of deposit-bearing beverage containers in New Brunswick.
As the designated not-for-profit producer responsibility organization managing the new Beverage Containers Program, Encorp’s primary focus will be environmental performance. Encorp is committed to increasing New Brunswick’s beverage container recovery rate, which has decreased since the Program’s inception over 30 years ago.
More information on Encop’s Stewardship Plan, as well as the latest information on Program fees and beverage container recycling locations, can be found at encorpatl.ca/recycle.
Encorp Atlantic is a not-for-profit producer responsibility organization located in Moncton and representing over 300 beverage product brand owners who sell/distribute beverage products in the province of New Brunswick. Encorp is responsible for recycling services/management of these brand owners’ post-consumer deposit-bearing beverage containers. To learn more, visit encorpatl.ca/recycle.
Recycle NB is a provincial organization whose role is to oversee waste reduction programs for designated materials and provide environmental stewardship for New Brunswick. For more information about our programs, please visit www.recyclenb.com.
PHOTOS FROM EARTH DAY CELEBRATION EVENT AT ROTHESAY HIGH SCHOOL
Student Recycling Ambassadors from Rothesay High School pose with a cheque from Encorp matching funds raised from beverage container recycling since the start of their school’s participation in the Recycling Heroes in Schools Program. These students and their classmates – along with their teachers, Mr. Josh Little & Mrs. Nicole Erving, led the recycling efforts at their school for the 2023-2024 school year, managing thus far to recycle over 120,000 containers. With these matched funds, the school has raised over $13,000 in just a few months by recycling empty beverage containers! Rothesay High School is currently among the top five performers in Encorp’s Recycling Heroes in School Program
Student Recycling Ambassadors from Rothesay High School pose with Pierre Landry (President and CEO, Encorp Atlantic), Frank LeBlanc (CEO, Recycle NB) and Emil Olsen (Vice-President, Recycle NB).
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More information
Nathalie Landry
Director of Marketing & Communications, Encorp Atlantic
Office: 506.389.7338
Mobile: 506.874.6298
nathalie.landry@encorpatl.ca
Paula White
Communications Manager, Recycle NB
Office: 506.474.8473
paula.white@recyclenb.com
