Some grocery stores could stop selling alcohol ahead of new Ontario recycling program rules

Some grocery stores could soon pull alcohol off the shelves as the province begins requiring them to accept empties on Jan. 1. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

Some grocery stores could soon stop selling alcohol in response to a looming rule.

Stores that sell liquor will be required to start accepting empty liquor bottles and cans through the Ontario Deposit Return Program starting Jan. 1, 2026, but the Retail Council of Canada is warning that some members say they aren’t equipped to do that.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Michael Zabaneh, vice-president of sustainability with the council, says the current compensation model, which gives retailers two cents for every container, isn’t enough to offset costs.

“Given the cost and operational complexities of managing alcohol returns, some retailers are reassessing whether it remains viable to continue selling alcohol at all under current or proposed deposit-return conditions,” he writes.

He says the plan poses health and safety risks and is costly. Some stores also don’t have the space and staff to accept beer and wine bottles.

“While retailers support improving collection and recycling rates, this must be done through well-funded and scalable alternatives,” reads the statement.

Returning a few dozen beer bottles to The Beer Store on Saturday morning, Peter Finnie says he often sees firsthand how much workers handle.

“I can’t think of any stores that would be set up to do what these people do,” he said.

He brings cans multiple times a week to raise money for the charity he works with, the Bytown Association for Rescued Kanines – or B.A.R.K.

He says the job does not look easy for those inside.

“You have people who professionally collect bottles, and they’ll show up and maybe have a couple of thousand beer cans and hundreds and hundreds of wine bottles,” he said.

“Now, if they showed up at some other place, it would jam them up pretty quickly and then you got the awful smell.”

In a statement to CP24 this week, the Ontario Ministry of Finance says more than 400 grocery stores and convenience stores are already participating in the recycling program with more expected to join in the coming months.

The ministry also said to CTV News Ottawa the recycling rules were clearly outlined when stores signed up for the licence.

The Beer Store has an agreement with the provincial government to keep at least 300 locations open until the end of 2025. It will be allowed to close an unlimited number of stores starting in the new year when the new recycling rules take effect.

Those like Martha Fenton say they hope it remains easy to bring back empty bottles and cans.

“If it does close, then I don’t know what I would do,” she said. “Might have to go in my recycle bin if grocery stores or corner stores don’t offer that option.”

The Beer Store says it processed 434 million ODRP containers in 2024.

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