BEVERAGE CONTAINERs FAQ

Beverage Containers

Frequently Asked Questions

Recycle NB is the arm’s length agency responsible for overseeing waste management programs for materials specified in the Designated Materials Regulation under the Clean Environment Act. These include tires, paint, oil/glycol, electronics, packaging and paper products, pharmaceutical products and medical sharps, and beverage containers. The organization was established through legislation in 2008 as a multi-material stewardship board. Recycle NB’s responsibilities include overseeing Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to ensure regulatory compliance, as well as reviewing and approving industry stewardship plans, program measures and targets.
The Designated Materials Regulation requires all brand owners to register with Recycle NB. Use the flowchart below to determine if you are a brand owner. There is no registration fee.

The definition of a brand owner is found in Section 2 of the Designated Materials Regulation. It is summarized in the flowchart above. If you determine that you are a brand owner and, therefore, obligated under the Regulation, please ensure you are registered with Recycle NB as required.

Beyond April 1, 2024, no brand owner shall sell, offer for sale or distribute a beverage container to a person within the province unless the brand owner is registered with the Board of Recycle NB.

A brand owner shall, on or before August 1, 2023, submit to the Recycle NB Board for approval the following:

(a) an application for registration;
(b) a beverage containers stewardship plan; and
(c) one or more performance measures, by material type, used to assess the goals and objectives of the brand owner’s stewardship plan as well as the targets, by material type, set by the brand owner for each of the performance measures.

To register as a brand owner, you can do so online or download a registration form and either email or mail it to our office.

Email: info@recyclenb.com

Mail: Recycle NB
PO Box 308 Station A
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 4Y9
There is no fee to register as a brand owner.

If you are a brand owner, you must register with Recycle NB. A brand owner with respect to beverage containers sold, offered for sale or otherwise distributed in or into the province, is a person who:

(i) is a manufacturer of beverage containers,
(ii) is a distributor of beverage containers,
(iii) is an owner or licensee of a registered or unregistered trademark under which beverage containers are sold, offered for sale or distributed, or
(iv) if beverage containers are imported into the Province, is the first person to sell the beverage containers.

A brand owner or its designated agent (Producer Responsibility Organization) must submit a stewardship plan for approval by the Board of Recycle NB. 


A brand owner shall, on or before August 1, 2023, submit to the Recycle NB Board for approval the following:

(a) an application for registration;
(b) a beverage containers stewardship plan; and
(c) one or more performance measures, by material type, used to assess the goals and objectives of the brand owner’s stewardship plan as well as the targets, by material type, set by the brand owner for each of the performance measures.

A stewardship plan for beverage containers shall apply to the manufacture, storage, collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, disposal and other handling of beverage containers that are sold, offered for sale or distributed within the Province. Full details of what should be included in a stewardship plan can be found under Section 50.931 of the Designated Materials Regulation.
As soon as possible after a brand owner or agent submits a stewardship plan, the Recycle NB Board will either approve the plan for a period not to exceed five years or reject the plan in writing. The rejection letter will outline the reasons for the rejection so adjustments can be made and the plan resubmitted if desired.
The Board of Recycle NB may refuse to register or suspend the registration of a brand owner who does not submit a stewardship plan for beverage containers. Failure to comply and maintain a valid registration may require further enforcement action as covered under the Designated Materials Regulation and the Clean Environment Act.
A stewardship plan expires on the date set by the Board of Recycle NB but no plan shall exceed five years. Ninety days before the expiry of a Board-approved stewardship plan, the brand owner or agent shall submit a new plan for review and approval.
A brand owner must provide the Board of Recycle NB with an annual report by April 30 of each year, beginning in 2025, detailing the effectiveness of the beverage container stewardship plan for the previous calendar year. Section 50.97(1) of Regulation 2008-54 sets out the content requirements for the report.
A brand owner must, on request, give retailers educational and consumer material that informs consumers about its stewardship plan, access to return facilities, and the environmental and economic benefits of participating in the beverage container stewardship program. A brand owner must submit its educational and consumer material to Recycle NB, at least one month in advance of its release.

According to the Regulation:

“Beverage” means a ready-to-serve liquid that is intended for human consumption but does not include milk, plant-based milk product alternatives that are fortified and a source of protein, unprocessed apple cider, concentrated drinks, infant formula, meal replacements or formulated liquid diets.

“Beverage container” means a sealed container, including all its component parts, that contains a beverage in a maximum quantity of five litres, and includes a box or similar container used to contain, protect, handle, deliver or present refillable glass beer bottles.
To speak with Recycle NB staff about regulatory requirements, registering with RNB, and for general inquiries, contact:

Recycle NB
E-mail: info@recyclenb.com
Telephone: 506-454-8473, 1-888-322-8473 (Toll-Free)
Fax : 506-454-8471

Mail: Recycle NB
PO Box 308 Station A
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 4Y9


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