The Beer Store has launched a new provincewide advertising campaign aimed at encouraging Ontarians to reclaim millions of dollars in unused bottle and can deposits by returning empty alcohol containers instead of tossing them into recycling bins or garbage.
The new campaign, titled “Take Back What’s Yours,” promotes Ontario’s deposit return system while reminding consumers that refundable deposits are paid on most alcohol containers sold across the province.
The campaign arrives at a time when studies suggest growing numbers of consumers are failing to return empty beer, wine and liquor containers for refunds, resulting in millions of dollars in unclaimed deposits each year.
One of the campaign’s central advertisements features a man delivering a motivational speech outside a Beer Store location, urging customers to reclaim the deposits they already paid on their cans and bottles.
The ad emphasizes that deposits apply not only to beer containers but also to wine and liquor bottles purchased throughout Ontario.
The campaign’s messaging focuses on the idea that consumers are losing money when they throw away empties instead of returning them through Ontario’s deposit return system.
According to recent reporting, Ontarians may have forfeited more than $60 million in unredeemed container deposits last year by placing alcohol containers in curbside recycling or garbage instead of returning them for refunds.
As Ontario’s largest beer retailer, The Beer Store operates and manages the province’s Deposit Return Program in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Finance.
The program collected approximately 1.6 billion alcohol containers across Ontario in 2025.
Under the system, consumers pay either a 10-cent or 20-cent refundable deposit on eligible alcohol containers sold through retail outlets including Beer Stores, LCBO locations, grocery stores, convenience stores, wineries, breweries and licensed establishments.
Deposits are refunded when containers are returned to authorized return locations.
The campaign also comes amid major changes within Ontario’s alcohol retail market.
Over the past two years, more than 100 Beer Store locations have closed following expanded alcohol sales through grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations across the province.
While many new retailers now sell alcohol products, most do not accept empty container returns, creating added inconvenience for some consumers seeking refunds.
The Beer Store says the campaign is intended to reinforce awareness that empty alcohol containers can still be returned at participating Beer Store locations and authorized empty-return depots.
The company noted the evolving retail environment has increased the importance of maintaining awareness about Ontario’s long-standing deposit return system.
Campaign materials direct consumers to The Beer Store, where customers can locate nearby authorized return locations using the retailer’s online empty return locator tool.
The advertising campaign, developed by Arrivals + Departures, will appear across social media, digital platforms and in-store audio advertising.
The Beer Store says the initiative is designed not only to help consumers recover their deposits but also to support recycling and environmental sustainability efforts across Ontario.