Refund Available for Milk and Liquid Cream Containers New Deposit Fee in Place Beginning June 1

May 28, 2009 Refund available for milk and liquid cream containers New deposit fee in place beginning June 1

Edmonton... Alberta will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to include milk containers in a regulated deposit-refund system. On June 1, as with other beverage containers in the system, milk and liquid cream containers will be returnable to a bottle depot for refund. The fully-refundable deposit fee for milk containers matches the deposit on similar-sized containers already part of the deposit program. For containers one litre and under, the deposit will be 10 cents. The deposit for containers over one litre will be 25 cents. “We’re always looking for ways to protect our environment by reducing waste,” said Diana McQueen, Environment Parliamentary Assistant. “We’ve made this change to increase recycling rates for beverage containers in Alberta and to help to foster a culture of conservation in the province.” More than two billion beverage containers are sold in Alberta each year, and about 500 million of those are not recycled. The current recycling rate for plastic milk jugs is 60 per cent, and for milk cartons it is 22.5 per cent. The province’s goal, as part of its Too Good to Waste strategy, is an overall beverage container recycling rate-including milk and liquid cream-of 85 per cent. “This is an exciting move for Alberta,” said Ross Risvold, Chair of the Beverage Container Management Board. “Bringing milk and liquid cream containers into the deposit-refund system will help boost overall beverage container recycling rates and decrease the amount of containers going into landfills.” Only marked containers identified by “AB DEPOSIT” will be eligible for refund. Unmarked milk and liquid cream containers bought before June 1 are not eligible for a refund, and should be recycled through local municipal recycling programs. For more information on Alberta’s Beverage Container Recycling Program, visit www.bcmb.ab.ca. For more information on Alberta’s Too Good to Waste strategy, visit www.environment.alberta.ca. -30- Backgrounder: Milk and liquid cream container deposit-refund details Media inquiries may be directed to: Trevor Gemmell John Bachinski Brian Miller Communications Managing Director President Alberta Environment Beverage Container Management Board Alberta Dairy Council 780-427-6267 1-888-424-7671 780-453-7631 To call government (Alberta Environment) toll-free within Alberta dial 310-0000. May 28, 2009

Dairy container deposit-refund details How do I distinguish between old and new containers? The new markings “AB DEPOSIT” are printed in either red or black ink below the neck of a plastic milk container or on the top of a carton. Will I receive a refund on the containers I purchased before June 1 if I take them to a bottle depot? A deposit was not collected on unmarked containers that were purchased before June 1, so no deposit will be refunded on those containers. Only marked containers that were charged a deposit are eligible for a refund. If a marked container is purchased prior to June 1, it will be eligible for a refund after June 1. How can I recycle the containers I purchased before June 1? Unmarked containers can be brought to a depot for recycling; however, no refunds will apply. Consumers are advised to check with their local recycling authorities to determine whether milk and liquid cream containers will continue to be collected through municipal curb-side programs and drop-off depots after June 1. Whether municipal programs continue to collect used containers is up to each individual municipality. Do I have to wash the containers before I take them to the bottle depot? It is highly recommended that milk and liquid cream containers are washed-or at least rinsed using cold water-before they are taken to the bottle depot for public health and sanitation reasons. Any containers with a strong odor or with residual milk or cream may be rejected by the bottle depot. Can I squash the containers so they take up less space before I take them to a bottle depot? Yes, as long as the “AB Deposit” marking is clearly visible, milk jugs and cartons may be squashed so they take up less space and this will not affect the ability to obtain a refund at the bottle depot. Do I need to leave the label on milk jugs? Yes, the label on a milk jug must be left on so that it can be reasonably identified as a milk jug. If the label is removed it will not be eligible for a refund when at the bottle depot. Is the government making money from this change? (Is this a tax increase from the government?) No. The government does not receive any of this money. All of the funds collected are used to recycle beverage containers. Media inquiries may be directed to: Trevor Gemmell John Bachinski Brian Miller Communications Managing Director President Alberta Environment Beverage Container Management Board Alberta Dairy Council 780-427-6267 1-888-424-7671 780-453-7631 To call government (Alberta Environment) toll-free within Alberta dial 310-0000.