Ontarians buying alcohol at their local liquor stores will soon be paying more because of a recycling deposit fee.

Starting in February, a fee will be added for all liquor and wine containers sold at Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores. The actual amount of the deposit has not yet been determined, but is expected to be from five to 40 cents.

But the LCBO stores will not be collecting the bottles.

Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Sunday that empties will instead be returned to Beer Stores for a full refund.

He said the final cost of the program has not been calculated, but expects the Beer Store, which already runs a bottle return program, will run it in a cost-efficient manner.

One of the world's largest makers of glass containers, OI Canada, applauded the initiative, saying it will result in a significant increase in the number of bottles being returned.

But organizers of the province's Blue Box program criticized the government for pulling the plug on an important source of financial support.

"I'm disappointed that he's taking one of the key partners from the Blue Box program plan, which is the LCBO, away from the Blue Box and perhaps leaving behind a set of costs that have yet to be allocated," said Damian Bassett, CEO of Stewardship Ontario.

"This seems to be, as opposed to a recycling initiative, an economic initiative which seems to benefit the Beer Store," he added.

LCBO puts about $5 million a year into the curbside recycling program because wine and spirt bottles make up a large portion of glass recycled through the program.
 
Bassett worries the decision may also jeopardize the development of a new glass processing facility in the GTA.

Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba are the only provinces that do not offer a deposit refund for the return of liquor and wine bottles.