We are writing in response to the letter shared by the David Suzuki Foundation on November 18, 2020 and inaccurate information related to beverage container recycling. 

Encorp Pacific (Canada), better known as Return-It, is the industry owned not-for-profit organization responsible for beverage container management in B.C. We have over 25 years of leading extended producer responsibility performance in Canada and diverting more than 20 billion beverage containers from the landfill.  

The article notes incorrect information on the amount of plastic beverage containers recycled, indicating “more than 90 percent end up in the environment”. This is inaccurate. In 2019, the B.C. recovery rate for plastic beverage containers was 74.6 percent—over 380 million plastic bottles were recycled and diverted from our environment. Across Canada, over 79 percent of plastic beverage containers are recycled. It is important the public have accurate information and understand their efforts to recycle are making a difference and diverting material from our environment.

Because PET plastic is a lightweight, durable, and 100 percent recyclable material type, it can be reused many times to make new plastic beverage containers or other material. Therefore, recycling also helps reduce the production and use of new raw material.  We have committed to supporting brand owners who have made voluntary commitments to increase the use of recycled content in their plastic beverage containers by increasing the volume of plastic containers collected for use as recycled content in new plastic bottles.  

We appreciate the opportunity to share accurate information and efforts to protect our environment.

Sincerely,

Allen Langdon, President & CEO