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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2026
Bolton, Ontario – The Beer Store is pleased to partner with the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and Black Mental Health Canada during Black History Month to offer consumers the opportunity to donate deposit return money to these organizations. From February 4 to March 7, 2026, consumers returning empty alcohol containers in Ontario will be offered the opportunity to donate empty returns to one, or both organizations.
“Our customers are generous – it really amazes me how many choose to direct their deposit money to partner not-for-profit organization”, said Ozzie Ahmed, VP Retail. “People know us for having the widest selection of ice-cold beer and an easy deposit return system that gets people their money back. What customers may not know is that Beer Store staff enthusiastically support campaigns with partner organizations and hundreds of informal bottle drives that raise millions of dollars every year.”
In 2025, Beer Store customers raised approximately $56,000 for the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and Black Mental Health Canada.
“Support from partnerships like this allows us to continue our work of celebrating the strength, resiliency, and rich history of Black communities across Canada. By honouring these stories together, we aren’t just presenting the past; we are ensuring our collective impact continues to grow for generations to come,” said Mary-Katherine Whelan of the Amherstburg Freedom Museum. “We are so appreciative of this shared commitment to honouring Black history and the many people who support our work through The Beer Store deposit return program.”
“We are grateful for partnerships that recognize knowledge as a form of protection," said Alice Waife of Black Mental Health Canada. “The more our community understands mental health, the stronger and healthier we become together. Thank you, Beer Store and customers!”
Please visit the website of The Amherstburg Freedom Museum or Black Mental Health Canada for more information.
For more information on store hours, please visit our website at www.thebeerstore.ca.
NEW – Empty Return Locator
The Beer Store launched a new Empty Return Locator to make it easier than ever to find a Beer Store or alternative retailer that is accepting empties.
Consumers can find the locators 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’.
“We want to make empties easy for consumers. We know people want to return their empty alcohol containers for reuse, recycling and to get their deposit money back,” said Ozzie Ahmed, VP Retail TBS. “We’re making it simple and convenient to find Beer Store and other authorized locations.”
Empty Returns
The Beer Store encourages customers to continue returning more than the 1.6 billion alcohol containers we process annually to one of our local TBS locations or an empty return dealer located close by. The following alcohol containers purchased in Ontario can be returned to collect your deposit back: beer, wine and spirits bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, tetra packs and kegs.
To find the closest Beer Store location, please visit our website at www.thebeerstore.ca/locations.
To learn more about The Beer Store’s sustainability efforts and why returning empties is beneficial for your community, please see our latest Stewardship Report Delivering Circular Solutions for Ontario. Visit Stewardship Report | The Beer Store.
About The Beer Store
Owned by Ontario-based brewers and named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers 2025, 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 million hectoliters of beer to over 13,000 retail and convenience customers in 2024. The Beer Store is deeply committed to responsible sales and not selling to minors or people who are intoxicated. More than 2.1 million customers were challenged in 2024. It is also one of the greenest retailers in the world, annually collecting for reuse and recycling approximately 1.6 billion beverage alcohol containers, including beer, wine and spirits. The Beer Store employs thousands of hard-working Ontarians with well-paying full and parttime jobs.
Media Contact
The Beer Store
mediainquiries@thebeerstore.ca