About Milk Container Recycling

Don't let 'em go to waste

This voluntary milk container recycling program is delivered to you by the dairy industry. Services are provided by Encorp Pacific (Canada), the leader in environmental stewardship programs. Encorp, manager of the successful Return-It system for all beverage containers, is dedicated to providing recycling programs that recycle items in our communities into viable products, thus keeping them out of our landfills.

Zero Deposit Paid = Zero Deposit Refunded

Even though milk containers are now part of the Return-It system, you do not need to pay a deposit when you purchase milk. Because no deposit was paid, no deposit is refunded.

Return 'em for recycling at select Return-It Depots in your area.

Visit our Collection Sites & Services directory to see which depots are currently participating in the program. Please note that this industry program does not allow for returns to grocery stores.

What you can return at select Return-It Depots

All empty milk, cream, and milk substitute (soy & rice) beverage containers (plastic, cartons, and jugs) are included in this voluntary industry-run program. Cartons include both polycoated and paper board containers like tetra packs or aseptics and gable top cartons.

Please remove the caps, rinse them out, and give them a squish before you return them

Too many milk containers end up in landfills

That's wasting a precious resource. Now you can return your milk containers to select Return-It depots. We'll see that they get recycled into something useful. And you can feel good about helping your favourite planet. All the milk containers you return will be recycled into something new. Your plastic milk jugs and milk-to-go containers are recycled into plastic buckets and pails, while all other milk cartons are turned into cardboard boxes and tissue paper.

• BC Dairy Council Recycling Announcement   Acrobat Document: BCDC_Release_Recycling_Announcement_Oct_20_06_Final.pdf, 13,680 bytes
• Milk Container Recycle Launch Backgrounder   Acrobat Document: Milk_Container_Recycle_Launch_Backgrounder_Oct_20_2006.pdf, 22,334 bytes