The Government of Prince Edward Island (PEI) is transitioning its Beverage Container Program to an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model effective April 1, 2026. The province’s newly revised Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations, which govern all PEI EPR programs, outline how EPR rules will apply to beverage containers (see Division 9, page 48).
Encorp has been working with the PEI Department of Environment, Energy, and Climate Action, as well as other stakeholders, to prepare for this transition. Following its successful leadership of New Brunswick’s (NB) shift to EPR in 2024, Encorp has been chosen as the producer responsibility organization (PRO) for PEI and has submitted a Stewardship Plan for the new EPR Program. Encorp is pleased to announce that its Stewardship Plan has recently been approved by the PEI government. Encorp will serve as the designated agent for beverage producers to fulfill certain of their obligations under the Regulations and will work closely with both producers and retailers to build awareness of their responsibilities under the new EPR program.
Under PEI’s revised Environmental Protection Act Materials Stewardship and Recycling Regulations, the Beverage Container Program will transition from a half-back deposit-refund model to a full deposit-refund model. Setting the deposit amounts is the responsibility of the PRO in its Stewardship Plan.
Effective April 1, 2026, the deposit amounts, established by Encorp in its Stewardship Plan, will be as follows.
Encorp will also introduce a container recycling fee (CRF) on certain container types, as needed, to cover the estimated net costs of handling, transportation, processing, and administration of post-consumer deposit-bearing beverage containers. The CRF rates for each container type, effective April 1, 2026, will be set by Encorp as follows.
Producers selling beverage products in PEI will be able to appoint Encorp as their PRO for the new EPR program. For those already familiar with Encorp’s process in NB, registration will be very similar. It will involve signing an official agreement authorizing Encorp to fulfill specific EPR obligations on the producer’s behalf. The registration process will open in January 2026, at which time producers will receive a complete information package.
Beverage producers are invited to attend an informational webinar on November 20, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. AST. This session will provide an overview of the confirmed details of PEI’s new EPR Program, as outlined in Encorp’s approved Stewardship Plan. A second webinar will be held in February 2026, following the official opening of registrations. You can register for both webinars on our website.
Please review the October 28, 2025, notice to beverage industry producers for more detailed information on this transition, including next steps and a helpful FAQ.
