THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS
By recycling your beverage containers and taking them to your nearest Enviro-Depot, you are helping to care for the environment in Nova Scotia. Search for your nearest Depot below.
You have the power.
Use it!
Don’t think twice: Put your beverage containers in a bin or a bag – it doesn’t matter – and take them to your nearest Enviro-Depot for a refund.
Download our handy guide to see what containers we accept. It would look great on your fridge!
Gable Top Beverages
Juice
Health, energy & diet drinks
NO refund on milk, soya or rice drinks
Plastic Beverage Containers
Juice
Health, energy & diet drinks
Pop/soft drinks
Water
Alcohol
Mini sip bags
NO refund on milk or milk products
NO refund on meal replacements
Tetra Pak® Beverage Cartons
Juice
Health, energy & diet drinks
NO refund on milk, soya or rice drinks
NO refund on milkshakes
NO refund on concentrates
Steel Beverage Cans
Juice
Health, energy and diet drinks
NO refund on food cans
NO refund on meal replacements
Glass Beverage Bottle
Juice
Health, energy, and diet drinks
Pop/soft drinks
Water
Alcohol and imported beer
Aluminum Beverage Cans
Juice
Health, energy, and diet drinks
Pop/soft drink
Alcohol
What are Enviro-Depots?
Locally owned and operated, Enviro-Depots are where your beverage containers begin their second life. This journey starts with you and continues at the Enviro-Depots, where the staff collect, sort, and count the different beverage containers before they are sent off to be transformed into something else.
Learn more about the Nova Scotia Beverage Container Deposit Refund Program.
The power of supporting
When you bring your beverage containers to Enviro-Depots, you not only help make Nova Scotia a cleaner place, but you also contribute to a circular economy and create jobs.
You can support local charities by donating your refund and strengthen community ties, as the depots are independently and locally owned and operated.
Discover the power of recycling
Recycling beverage containers in Nova Scotia saves 22,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. With your help we divert 430 million beverage containers from landfills each year.
Aluminum
Aluminum cans can be recycled infinitely and take only 60 days to become a new one.
Glass
Glass can be transformed into new materials or a new bottle in as little as 30 days.
Plastic
Plastic bottles can be transformed into clothing, building materials, new bottles, electronic components, and more.
Cartons & Tetra Pak
Cartons and Tetra Pak containers are recycled into a variety of products such as napkins, toilet paper, new packaging, and more.
Recycling FAQ
What’s the difference between Enviro-Depot and curbside recycling?
When you bring your beverage containers to an Enviro-Depot, you will receive a refund (which you can choose to donate to a local charity) and you will be supporting local businesses. If you recycle your containers via municipal curbside recycling, the municipalities managing your curbside collection will receive the refund on the containers, which is used to support solid waste expenses and waste diversion programs in your community.
What is the refund rate according to the container?
Container Type
Deposit Paid
Refund
Non-alcohol less than 5L
10¢
5¢
Alcohol 500ml or less
10¢
5¢
Alcohol greater than 500ml
20¢
10¢
What is the minimum number of containers Enviro-Depots accept?
There is no minimum quantity; you can bring anywhere from one container to hundreds of them.
Why rinse beverage containers before recycling?
It helps prevent issues in the recycling process, like maintaining high-quality recycled materials, avoiding pest problems, and ensuring the smooth operation of recycling machinery.
Who is in charge of the Enviro-Depots here? Who is the owner in Nova Scotia?
All Enviro-Depots are independently and locally owned and operated.
What’s the difference between Enviro-Depot and curbside recycling?
When you bring your beverage containers to an Enviro-Depot, you will receive a refund (which you can choose to donate to a local charity) and you will be supporting local businesses. If you recycle your containers via municipal curbside recycling, the municipalities managing your curbside collection will receive the refund on the containers, which is used to support solid waste expenses and waste diversion programs in your community.
What is the refund rate according to the container?
| Container Type | Deposit Paid | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Non-alcohol less than 5L | 10¢ | 5¢ |
| Alcohol 500ml or less | 10¢ | 5¢ |
| Alcohol greater than 500ml | 20¢ | 10¢ |
What is the minimum number of containers Enviro-Depots accept?
There is no minimum quantity; you can bring anywhere from one container to hundreds of them.
Why rinse beverage containers before recycling?
It helps prevent issues in the recycling process, like maintaining high-quality recycled materials, avoiding pest problems, and ensuring the smooth operation of recycling machinery.
Who is in charge of the Enviro-Depots here? Who is the owner in Nova Scotia?
All Enviro-Depots are independently and locally owned and operated.
Want to know more about recycling?
Recycling sorting guidelines differ throughout the province. Before sorting, check your municipality’s sort guide – most also have a waste app you can download.
Sharps should never be placed in recyclable containers. It is bad for the environment and dangerous for waste collection workers.
Accepted items vary depending on your neighbourhood depot, and include beverage containers, paint, electronics, batteries, metals and textiles.