Manitoba touts 70 percent beverage container recycling rate

The Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) says its Recycle Everywhere program has helped the recovery rate of empty beverage containers in the Canadian province of Manitoba reach 70 percent by the end of 2016. The CBCRA, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, helps collect aluminum, plastic, glass and carton-style beverage containers.

“I am thrilled that CBCRA has achieved a 70 percent recovery rate – the largest increase between 2010 and 2016 of any jurisdiction in North America,” says Cathy Cox, Manitoba’s minister of sustainable development. “The Province of Manitoba congratulates CBCRA and Recycle Everywhere on their tremendous progress toward reaching the government-mandated target of recovering 75 percent of empty beverage containers sold in this province. But it’s also Manitobans who have reason to be proud for their contribution to more recycling and a cleaner environment.”

The CBCRA says, through the Recycle Everywhere program, more than 55,000 bins have been distributed for free to public spaces in the province, and now “more Manitobans have access to beverage container recycling at work, home and at play than ever before.”

“The beverage containers recycled in Manitoba last year would fill more than 1,042 rail cars,” says Jim Goetz, chairman of the CBCRA board of directors. “What’s more, Manitoba’s third-party litter audits show that year after year, litter is decreasing in major centers, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach, Flin Flon and Thompson.”

Over a six-year period the recovery rate for aluminum, plastic, glass and carton-style beverage containers in Manitoba increased from 42 percent to 70 percent. “All of our initiatives combined allow CBCRA to fuel a circular economy where materials are not treated as waste, but as a resource, and packaging is considered in the full product life cycle,” says Ken Friesen, CBCRA’s executive director. “This allows beverage containers to have a new life after its contents are done.”

Recycle Everywhere promotes what it calls Canada’s first province-wide away from home beverage container recycling program. The program has partnered with communities, municipalities, schools, businesses, institutions, parks, festivals and events throughout Manitoba to provide them appropriate Recycle Everywhere bins free of charge. Partners arrange for the collection of what’s inside the bins with local recycling firms.

Founded in 2010, the CBCRA is a not-for-profit, industry-funded organization whose membership includes beverage brand owners and distributors.