A Family Vacation Reminder: Why Convenience is the Missing Piece of Successful Deposit Return Systems

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), the way the system works in practice can vary significantly from one place to another.

Our family drinks a lot of sparkling water, so by the end of our week in Quebec we had accumulated a small collection of empty beverage containers. Since Quebec has recently expanded its deposit return system to include more beverage containers, we were looking forward to returning them and getting our deposits back before heading home.

After some searching, we found what appeared to be the only return location in town: a MAXI grocery store with two reverse vending machines at the front. When we arrived, there were already four people waiting in line, including two people with enormous bags of containers.

For about $4 worth of deposits, we made the decision that our vacation time was worth more than the wait, so we turned around and left. It was a small moment, but it highlighted a lesson that we see repeatedly in deposit return system research: a successful deposit return system is not just about having a meaningful deposit value, it is about making participation convenient.

The importance of convenience

Deposit return systems are one of the most effective ways to collect high-quality beverage containers for recycling. Around the world, well-designed systems consistently achieve high return rates because they make recycling easy and create a clear incentive for consumers.

But the deposit itself is only one part of the equation.

For people to participate consistently, the experience needs to be simple. Return locations need to be accessible. Wait times need to be reasonable. The process needs to fit naturally into people's everyday routines.

A system can have the right policy framework, but if returning containers feels inconvenient, some consumers will choose not to participate. This is why system design matters so much. The best-performing deposit return systems are not successful simply because they require consumers to return containers. They are successful because they make returning containers an easy choice.

Quebec’s continued evolution

To be clear, Quebec has made significant progress in recent years by expanding its deposit return system. Expanding the scope of containers covered by the system, and increasing deposit values, is an important step toward increasing collection and improving recycling outcomes.

As with any major policy change, implementation takes time. Building out a convenient redemption network, ensuring consumers understand where and how they can return containers, and creating a smooth customer experience are all important next steps.

The experience of a single family on vacation in a small Quebec town is only one anecdote. It does not tell the whole story of a system. But it does highlight something important: policies ultimately succeed or fail based on how they work in people's everyday lives.

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

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, data, infrastructure, and system performance metrics. These are essential pieces of understanding whether a policy is delivering results.

But sometimes the most valuable insights come from stepping into the role of a consumer.

Trying to return a handful of beverage containers while on vacation was a simple experience, but it reinforced something that research has shown time and time again:

Good policy is not only about creating the right rules. It is about designing systems that people can easily participate in.