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Refillable Milk Bottles

In British Columbia, all ready-to-drink beverages are subject to the Recycling Regulation, Schedule 1 – Beverage Container Product Category. This includes refillable milk bottles used by some dairies.

Please note that refillable milk bottles are not part of the Return-It deposit system; however, Return-It does support some BC dairies with their annual reporting requirements under the BC Recycling Regulation.

How Are Refillable Milk Bottles Reused?

Once customers have finished their milk or other dairy product sold in a refillable bottle, they can return the cleaned bottles to the grocery store it was purchased from for a full deposit refund. The empty glass bottles are then picked up for washing, sterilizing and refilled with fresh milk and other dairy products.

For refillable glass bottles that have been damaged and no longer suitable for use, they are sent to glass recyclers to recover the raw material needed to make new products such as fibreglass insulation or new glass bottles.

Bottle Deposits and Refunds

Under the BC Recycling Regulation a seller must collect from the purchaser, at the time of sale of a beverage in a container, a deposit in an amount not less than $0.10, however many dairies that use refillable milk bottles have chosen their own deposit amount to help ensure customers return the bottles for reuse.

  • Avalon Dairy
    • $1.50 per 500 ml bottle
    • $1.50 per 1 L bottle
    • $2.75 per 1.89 L bottle
  • Cowichan Milk Company
    • $2.50 per bottle (all sizes)
  • Dutchman Dairy
    • $2.00 per glass bottle
    • $0.10 per plastic bottle

Please note that refillable milk bottles are not part of the Return-It deposit system and cannot be returned to a Return-It depot for the deposit refund.

How Can I Return My Refillable Milk Bottles?

To get your deposit refund and give these bottles a second life, return them to the store where they were purchased at or any other retailer / grocery store carrying the same product.

Find a Return Location

Clean empty refillable glass bottles should be returned to the location they were purchased at or any other retail location that sells the same product / brand of dairy product.

Alternatively, you can return them directly to the brand's own stores:

Avalon Retail Store
7985 North Fraser Way
Burnaby, BC
604-761-0845

D Dutchman Dairy Store
1321 Maier Road
Sicamous, BC 
250-836-2306

Cowichan Milk Company
4590 Koksilah Rd
Duncan, BC
250-710-4287