Liquor Glass

The wine, spirits, imported beer and coolers in glass bottles.

Glass Alcohol
Size CRF Fee Deposit / Refund
0 – 1L 15¢ 10¢
Over 1L 15¢ 10¢

How to Recycle Glass Liquor Bottles

When recycling your glass liquor bottles that contain wine, alcohol or spirits, ensure that they are fully empty, and do not crush or flatten them. Put the caps back on when returning your glass liquor bottles, as they can be recycled alongside the bottles. Also remember to keep the label on so that we can confirm the type of glass bottle. Bring your glass liquor bottles along with your other ready-to-drink beverage containers to a Return-It depot to get your refund. 

Glass liquor bottles can be recycled at all depots, including ExpressExpress & GO, and Express Plus locations.  

To find a depot near you to recycle your glass liquor bottles, including wine, alcohol and spirit glass bottles, visit return-it.ca/locations

Glass Liquor Bottle Deposit Refund

In BC, a deposit is charged for each ready-to-drink beverage container that is purchased. This deposit is returned in full when you bring back the empty container for recycling. Glass liquor bottles are issued a 10-cent refund along with the other accepted beverage containers part of the Return-It system. 

For a full listing of all containers that can be returned to a Return-It Depot visit https://www.return-it.ca/beverage/products/.  

How to Obtain Your Refund

If you sign up for Express, you can put all your empty containers inside clear, transparent bags (no larger than 90L in capacity). Simply bring the bag(s) to an Express location near you, label them, and drop them off. The funds will be issued to your Express account within 10 business days. To redeem the funds, you will need to log in to your Express account. 

If you are using over-the-counter depots to return your containers, you will receive your refund in cash at the time of return. 

What Happens to Recycled Liquor Glases

Of all the glass bottles sold in BC, 93% are returned. These bottles are ground down into small pieces called "cullet" and used in the manufacturing of a variety of things such as fibreglass insulation, sandblasting material and even sand for golf-course sandtraps. Ground glass can also be added to asphalt in the making of new roads.