_ LIQUORAND WINE BOTTLE RECY- CLING PROGRAMAPPROVED

Charlottetown -- Environment minister Gilbert R. Clements announced a new element in the province’s waste reduction program - A deposit/refund and recycling program for liquor and wine bottles.

The program, which will begin on April 1, 1992, was developed in co-operation with the Prince Edward Island liquor control commission. A 20 cent deposit will be charged at time of sale on all liquor and wine bottles over 500 ml. On bottles 500 ml and smaller, the deposit will be 10 cents. Refunds will be 10 and 5 cents respectively. These bottles can be returned to any liquor control commission outlet province-wide; however, beer bottle returns will continue with the private bottle exchanges.

‘*l am very pleased with the co-operative effort be- tween my staff and the liquor control commission in developing this program which will remove 900 tonnes of glass and plastic annually from the prov- ince’s waste stream and reduce litter on roadsides and _ in municipalities,’’ Mr. Clements said.

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Keith Milligan, Minister responsible for the liquor control commission, explained negotiations are underway with recyclers to handle all returned glass and plastic containers. The differance between de- posit and refund will cover commission expenses for the program.

“The Prince Edward Island liquor control commis- sion will be implementing other waste reduction measures over the next year including recycling of cardboard and other packaging materials’’, Mr. Milligan stated.

A second component to the Prince Edward Island program will require all low-alcohol beer bottles be in refillable containers after April 1, 1992. Mr. Milligan also stated he will propose an amendment to the liquor control act at the next sitting of the legisla- ture to require low-alcohol beverages to be sold only through liquor control commission outlets.

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UPEI X-P RESS

January 16, 1992 Page 13