ABSTRACT
By the end of the 1980s, nine out of the ten Canadian provinces had allowed the use of non-reusable cans and bottles. In anticipation of the resulting increased waste, most provinces also introduced waste reduction programs predicated on the ‘Four Rs’ — reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. Some provinces adopted kerbside recycling programs, such as Ontario’s Multi Materials Recycling Inc (OMMRI) blue box program. Others introduced or expanded the use of existing deposit-refund schemes. Saskatchewan adopted a deposit-refund scheme, but with a unique additional feature. In mid-May 1988, the government of Saskatchewan authorized the sale of both carbonated soft drinks and beer in cans. At the same time, the Minister of Environment and Public Safety announced a deposit-refund scheme to be operated by the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres. The Minister announced that the SARCAN initiative should ‘create over 150 jobs for handicapped people’ (Government of Saskatchewan, 1988).
