Michigan Senator Proposes Expansion of Bottle Deposit Law

To modernize Michigan’s recycling efforts, Senator Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) introduced legislation to extend the long-standing bottle ​deposit legislation. The proposed amendments are intended to include a wider range of beverage containers and to improve ​the efficiency of the buy-back process.

The ​current Michigan Bottle Deposit Act, established in 1976, requires a deposit of 10 ​cents on certain soft drinks. ​Senator McCann’s proposal is ​to extend this deposit ​to non-carbon beverages, such as bottled water and ​other ​beverages, ​provided they are in containers of one gallon ​or less. ​Exceptions ​would apply to milk, ​children’s ​preparations and larger containers of fruit and vegetable juice. This expansion aims to reduce waste and increase ​recycling rates across the state.

An important aspect of the proposed legislation is the introduction of ​universal ​redemption. Currently, retailers are only obliged to accept returns of brands ​they sell. Under the new proposal, any store selling eligible beverages ​would be required to accept all brands ​for return. This change ​aims to simplify the process of consumer ​return and increase overall participation in the recycling program.

To support the implementation of these changes, the proposal provides for the creation of a $60 million consumer management ​fund from corporate tax revenues. The fund would allocate resources for system improvement, application, market and ​staff allocation ​related to the expanded deposit ​programme. In ​addition, the legislation provides for transparency of the ​public by reporting annually on programme implementation rates and costs.

Although the proposal has been supported by environmental advocates and organizations such as the Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalists Association, it faces opposition from some retailers. Critics argue ​that expansion ​could increase storage and operating costs, particularly ​in the handling and ​storage ​of a larger volume of ​returned containers. The Michigan Association of Minorists expressed concern about the ​potential impact ​on supermarket prices and the logistical challenges posed by the proposed changes.