Bottle Bills
Currently there are 11 states in the U.S. with bottle bill legislation that encourages the recycling of glass bottles through a beverage container deposit program. Consumers typically pay a deposit on beverage containers at the time of purchase which is refunded when the container is redeemed. Laws and deposit amounts differ from state to state, but all tend to improve the quality of glass collected for recycling while increase the percentage of containers going to bottle-to-bottle recycling.
While deposit legislation has led to the increased recovery of glass containers, the U.S. is significantly behind the rest of the developed world in its recycling efforts.
| Recycling Rates by Material and Class, 2006 | |||||
| Aluminum cans | PET plastic bottles | Glass bottles | Total | ||
| 10 Deposit states | Carbonated | 78.70% | 71.20% | 72.70% | 76.10% |
| Non-carbonated | 49.30% | 35.20% | 36.40% | 36.90% | |
| Average | 75.80% | 44.40% | 63.60% | 61.40% | |
| 40 Non-Deposit States | Carbonated | 35.10% | 13.60% | 12.40% | 24.20% |
| Non-carbonated | 35.10% | 13.60% | 12.40% | 24.20% | |
| Average | 35.10% | 13.60% | 12.40% | 24.20% | |
| US Total | Carbonated | 45.40% | 27.00% | 29.40% | 36.90% |
| Non-carbonated | 42.10% | 21.50% | 21.40% | 29.00% | |
| Average | 45.20% | 23.50% | 27.80% | 34.70% | |
States with Mandatory Beverage Container Deposit Programs
Additional Links
Oregon Deparment of Environmental Quality – Bottle Bills
California Beverage Container Recylcling & Litter Reduction Act
Department of Environmental Protection – Bottle Bill FAQ
Department of Environmental Conservation – New York's Bottle Bill Returnable Container Act (RCA)
The Iowa Deparment of Natural Resources – The Deposit Law
Waste Management & Recycling Program
Department of Environmental Quality – Michigan Bottle Bill Information
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection – Guide for Consumers to the Bottle Bill