FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 2026

Bolton, Ontario – On Saturday, May 23^rd Beer Store (TBS) retail locations and members UFCW 12R24 are partnering for Ontario’s biggest annual bottle drive to raise money and awareness for the  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC). Now in its 25^th year, this annual event has raised around $25 million for LLSC.  

“On Saturday, May 23^rd, customers visiting Beer Store locations can donate their empties directly to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada,” said Ozzie Ahmed, VP Retail. “I’m proud of our teams across Ontario who show up to support this important cause. Together with  UFCW 12R24, we’re helping an amazing organization make a real difference in the lives of people  impacted by blood cancers.”  

“Beer Store customers make a massive difference to our organization, funding research and awareness that makes a big impact,” said Alicia Talarico, CEO of LLSC. “Thank you to the  customers who donate their empties, and the volunteers from TBS and UFCW 12R24 who make the  Bottle Drive a success.” 

All Beer Store locations across Ontario will be participating in the Bottle Drive for LLSC. For reporters or photo desks looking for information about local Bottle Drive activities, please contact  mediainquiries@thebeerstore.ca.  

For more information about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada or the annual bottle drive, please visit: www.bottledrive.ca 

For more information on store hours, please visit our website at www.thebeerstore.ca.

Returning Empty Alcohol Containers 

The Beer Store launched an Empty Return Locator to make it easier than ever to find a Beer Store or alternative retailer that accepts empty alcohol containers so consumers can get their deposit back. 

In 2025, Beer Store customers brought back approximately 1.6 billion empty alcohol containers for reuse, recycling and to get deposit money back. The Beer Store is Ontario’s proven recycling and reuse solution for empty alcohol containers, including beer bottles and cans, as well as wine and spirit containers sold in Ontario. In almost 100 years of operation, TBS has successfully collected for reuse or recycling over 170 billion empty alcohol containers.  

Consumers can find the Locator on the Beer Store’s website. Visit www.thebeerstore.ca/where-to return-empties. From the homepage of www.thebeerstore.ca, in the navigation bar select  ‘Returning Empties’. This menu will drop down, then select ‘where to Return Empties’.  

About The Beer Store 

Owned by Ontario-based brewers and named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers 2025 and  2026, the Beer Store is an integrated business including Ontario’s largest beer retailer, the convenient location for returning empty alcohol containers and leading beverage distributor. The  TBS logistics division has 26 points of distribution strategically located across the province to meet the needs of customers. 

The Beer Store proudly distributed over 3.2 million hectoliters of beer to thousands of retail and convenience customers in 2025. The Beer Store is deeply committed to responsible sales and not selling to minors or people who are intoxicated, challenging almost 1.3 million customers in 2025.  It is also one of the greenest retailers in the world, annually collecting for reuse and recycling approximately 1.6 billion empty alcohol containers. The Beer Store employs thousands of hard working Ontarians with well-paying full-time and part-time jobs 

Media Contact 

The Beer Store 

mediainquiries@thebeerstore.ca