Most Albertans already know they can get money back for bottles and cans, but a surprising number still aren’t clear on the exact amounts or how much they actually walk away with once they choose a depot or a pickup service. The rates themselves haven’t changed for years and remain the same heading into 2027: containers 1 litre or smaller are worth 10 cents, and anything larger than 1 litre is worth 25 cents. That covers the vast majority of what people return.
Current Alberta Bottle Deposit Rates (2026–2027)
| Container Size | Deposit / Refund |
|---|---|
| 1 litre or smaller (most cans, water bottles, standard pop bottles, juice boxes, small milk cartons) | 10¢ |
| Larger than 1 litre (2-litre pop, big juice jugs, 4-litre milk, large wine or liquor bottles) | 25¢ |
| Industry-standard refillable beer bottles | 10¢ (regardless of size) |
These amounts are set by provincial regulation. Every registered bottle depot has to pay at least this much, and nothing is deducted from your refund at a physical depot. As of late 2026 there has been no announced change to the consumer deposit amounts for 2027.
What You Can Actually Return
Pretty much every ready-to-serve beverage container sold in Alberta is refundable as long as it had an Alberta deposit on it when you bought it.
Refundable:
- Aluminum cans (pop, beer, energy drinks, sparkling water)
- Plastic bottles and jugs (water, pop, juice, milk)
- Glass bottles (beer, coolers, wine, spirits)
- Tetra Paks and gable-top cartons
- Drink pouches and bag-in-box
- Milk, cream, buttermilk, eggnog, drinkable yogurt, and plant-based milks
- Ready-to-drink non-alcoholic mixes (added in 2025)
Not refundable:
- Pasta sauce jars, cooking oil, vinegar, or cleaning product containers
- Concentrates, powders, or syrups that aren’t ready to drink
- Infant formula for babies under a year old
- Anything bought outside Alberta
- Crushed containers that can no longer be identified
If you’re not sure about something, just take it with you – depot staff will tell you whether it qualifies.
Depot Versus Pickup Services
This is where a lot of the confusion (and occasional frustration) comes from.
At a bottle depot:
- You get the full 10¢ or 25¢
- No service fee is taken from your refund
- Many locations offer Drop & Go so you can drop tagged bags and leave
- Best when you want maximum cash back
With pickup services (Skip the Depot and similar):
- Convenient — they come to you and handle sorting/counting
- Typically keep a service fee (often up to 30% on residential pickups)
- Paid by e-transfer after counting, usually with a minimum cash-out amount
- Makes more sense for smaller loads when convenience matters more than the full refund
If you’re near Drumheller, the local Drumheller bottle depot is a straightforward option for getting the full rate. Residents around Wetaskiwin often prefer heading to the Wetaskiwin bottle depot when they have a bigger load.
A Few Things That Actually Help
- Rinse containers before bagging them so the depot (and your car) doesn’t smell like old pop.
- Don’t smash them flat beyond recognition — lightly crushing is fine.
- Most depots accept mixed bags, so you don’t need to sort by material or size.
- Milk containers are refundable. Leaving them in the blue bin means leaving money behind.
- A typical household garbage bag of mixed empties often lands in the $10–15 range once counted.
One family going through a case of pop and a case of water each week is already looking at roughly $5 a week just on the cans—before milk jugs, juice, or the occasional bottle of wine get added in. It’s one of those small Alberta habits that quietly puts a bit of cash back in your pocket over the year.
FAQs
Do I really get the full amount at the depot?
Yes. The 10¢ and 25¢ rates are what you receive. No handling fee comes off your refund.
Are the rates different for beer or milk?
No. Size is what matters for the deposit, not the type of drink (with the narrow exception of certain refillable beer bottles that stay at 10¢).
What if the count seems low?
Ask for a recount. If you’re still not satisfied you can contact the Beverage Container Management Board.
Have the rates changed for 2026 or 2027?
No. The deposit amounts consumers receive stayed the same through 2026 and there has been no announced change for 2027. Handling commissions paid to the depots themselves are reviewed periodically, but that does not affect what you get paid when you return containers.
You can look up depot locations, hours, and Drop & Go options at albertadepot.ca. Most people find once they know the simple size rule and the difference between a depot and a pickup service, the whole process becomes a lot less confusing.
