The Beverage Container Deposit Refund Program is operated by the Divert NS and is regulated within the NS Solid Waste Resource Management Regulations.

The Deposit-Refund Program for Beverage Containers came into effect on April 1, 1996, and applies to all ready-to-serve beverages - except milk, milk products, soya milk, rice beverages, certain meal replacements, formulated liquid diets, foods for low energy diets, thickened juices, baby formulas, concentrates, non-alcoholic beverages 5-litres or greater, and all "return for refund" beverages purchased outside Nova Scotia.

Deposits and returns apply to the following non-refillable beverage containers:

Non-Alcoholic	Alcoholic
		< 500 ml	> 500 ml
10 cent deposit	10 cent deposit	20 cent deposit
5 cent return	5 cent return	10 cent return

Deposits applied to refillable containers are completely refundable.