Here's how Quebec's bottle deposit-refund system is changing on March 1

As of March 1, you'll be charged 10 cents on all your plastic bottles ranging from 100 millilitres to two litres. 

But you'll get your money back if you return them to one of Quebec's 3,500 participating retailers that currently have deposit-return systems. 

About 1.2 billion new plastic containers will be subjected to a 10-cent deposit. Before today, the measure only applied to plastic bottles for soft drinks.

"There was a lot of job to be done, but we are confident that, for [today], everything will go great and the Quebecers will be able to return the containers," said Normand Bisson, president and CEO of Consignaction, the organization responsible for managing the system. 

He says the plastic is "100 per cent recycled," with around 90 per cent recycled in the province. 

"The material is very clean," he said. "We are able to use them to make new containers."

A comprehensive list of returnable beverage containers is available on Consignaction's website.

"Containers of water, sparkling water, juices, some milk containers, some SAQ containers will be under deposit," said Bisson.

"We will still have the deposit on glass containers, only for soft drink and beer."

Quebec's new bottle deposit and return system was slated to come into effect in 2022, but was delayed until 2023, and again until March 1.

The phases of the plan are being rolled out gradually.

As of November 1, 2023, the system had been extended to all aluminum beverage containers from 100 millilitres to two litres and included cans of ready-to-drink beverages. 

March 1 marks the second phase of the project.

By March 1, 2027, an expansion of the system is expected to cover all glass and multi-layer carton ready-to-drink containers from 100 millilitres to two litres.