With The Beer Store set to close eight more Ontario locations on February 28, many customers may be wondering where they can now return their empty alcohol containers for a deposit refund.
Since beer, cider, wine, and ready-to-drink beverages became available in over 4,000 Ontario convenience stores last September, The Beer Store has closed or announced plans to close 23 locations, including several in the Greater Toronto Area.
The latest round of closures includes:
- 2568 Finch Ave. W., North York
- 5544 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough
- 3431 St. Clair Ave. E., Scarborough
- 16715 Yonge St., Newmarket
- 82 Northside Rd., Ottawa
- 500 Princess St., Kingston
- 380 Donlands Ave., East York
- 10 The East Mall Crescent, Etobicoke
While some Beer Stores remain open, customers losing their local return option may need to travel farther to return their empties.
Ontario’s Deposit Return Program, also known as “Bag It Back,” allows consumers to return empty alcohol containers not just to The Beer Store but also to LCBO agency stores and empty bottle dealers.
However, not all retailers accept returns. Under the early implementation agreement that allowed beer sales in convenience stores, grocery stores that sell alcohol are not required to take back empties if they are within five kilometers of a Beer Store. That requirement will change in 2026 when all grocery stores selling beer must begin accepting returns.
For now, if your local Beer Store is closing, you have a few options:
- Find the next closest Beer Store using The Beer Store’s store locator.
- Return empties to an LCBO agency store or empty bottle dealer (where available).
- Donate them to community groups like Rotary clubs, the Knights of Columbus, or local sports teams, which often hold bottle and can collection drives.
John Nock, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 12R24—the union representing Beer Store employees—believes more closures are likely, though none have been officially announced beyond this latest round.
Nock warns that fewer stores could make product selection and deposit returns more difficult for consumers. While most laid-off workers have been relocated so far, he also expressed concern that continued closures could lead to “thousands of job losses.”
The Beer Store has not confirmed any future closures but says it is constantly evaluating its business model.
“As the beverage alcohol market evolves, we continue to assess how best to serve our customers while adapting to change,” said Ozzie Ahmed, The Beer Store’s vice-president of retail.
For now, customers affected by the closures will need to adjust their return habits—or find a local fundraiser willing to take those empties off their hands.