A Family Vacation Reminder: Why Deposit Return Systems Matter

For two weeks this summer, our family traded laptops and calendars for camping, swimming, bike rides, and time together.

We spent the first week of our holiday in Huntsville, Ontario, and the second in Ville-Marie, Quebec, a small town on the shores of Lake Témiscamingue. It was exactly the kind of break we needed: time outdoors, time together, and a chance to slow down.

Of course, even while away from work, it is difficult for me not to notice the small details related to what I spend much of my time working on: deposit return systems (DRS).

Daddy and the kids having fun in the Big East River in Huntsville, Ontario

My family posing for a rare family photo after our various endurance events in Ville-Marie, Quebec

One of the interesting things about DRS is that while the underlying concept is simple, consumers pay a small deposit when purchasing a beverage container and receive that deposit back when they return the empty container. Yet the experience can vary significantly from one place to another.

Our family drinks a lot of sparkling water, and one thing my son always looks forward to when we visit Quebec is returning the empty containers. Unlike in Ontario, where sparkling water containers are generally not part of a deposit return system, Quebec's program allows consumers to bring them back and receive their deposits.

For him, it has become part of the vacation tradition. He enjoys feeding containers into the reverse vending machine, watching them disappear one by one, and collecting the refund at the end. What might seem like a small amount of money to an adult feels much more significant to a child.

As a parent, I find it fascinating to watch. As someone who researches deposit return systems, I find it encouraging.

Creating a connection to recycling

Deposit return systems are often evaluated based on return rates, collection volumes, material quality, and recycling outcomes. These are incredibly important metrics and are a big part of the reason why DRS programs are recognized around the world as one of the most effective tools for collecting beverage containers.

But there is another benefit that is harder to measure.

Deposit return systems create a direct connection between consumers and recycling. The act of returning containers becomes an active experience rather than something that happens behind the scenes.

For children especially, the concept is easy to understand. Containers have value. Returning them matters. Recycling becomes something tangible rather than abstract.

Watching my son eagerly separate containers and look forward to returning them reminded me that deposit systems do more than recover materials. They also help build awareness and engagement.

The value of seeing systems through the consumer lens

Those of us who work on environmental policy spend a lot of time looking at legislation, infrastructure, financing models, and performance metrics. These are all important pieces of understanding whether a system is delivering results.

But sometimes the most meaningful insights come from seeing a system through the eyes of everyday consumers.

For my son, the experience isn't about collection targets or recycling rates. It's simply the excitement of participating and earning a few dollars back.

Yet that simple experience reflects something much larger. Successful environmental programs work best when people feel connected to them and when participation is straightforward, rewarding, and part of everyday life.

The boys fishing in the Big East River at our campground near Huntsville, Ontario

A small vacation reminder

Our family vacation wasn't intended to be a lesson in deposit return systems.

But like many people who work in a specialized field, I occasionally find myself noticing how the subjects I research show up in everyday life.

This time, the lesson came from watching my son enthusiastically collect empty sparkling water containers and look forward to returning them.

Sometimes the everyday moments are the ones that best illustrate why these systems matter. Beyond the policies, infrastructure, and performance data are real people engaging with the system, and in some cases, even getting excited about participating.

And that may be one of the most valuable outcomes of all.