Anyone who follows the actions of the Minnesota Legislature for a few years quickly discovers that some issues recycle through the legislature on a regular basis. One of those topics is… recycling - and specifically, “bottle bills”, or beverage container deposit-return legislation. Various forms of such legislation have been introduced in Minnesota back to at least 1969 when bills were introduced to prohibit sales of beverages in nonreturnable bottles.
Beverage container deposit programs require that a fee be added to the cost of each container; the fee is refunded when the container is returned for recycling. Oregon was the first state to pass such a law in 1971. Currently 10 states have these programs including neighboring Iowa.
Proponents say the programs increase recycling rates, decrease litter, save energy, and result in a net increase in jobs. Opponents cite the costs of establishing and operating such a program, loss of jobs in the existing recycling system, inconvenience to consumers, and financial impacts on retailers, especially near bordering states.
In 2013, the Minnesota Legislature requested that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA) examine and report on issues surrounding the development of such a program in Minnesota. That report, Recycling Refund System Cost Benefit Analysis, was released in January 2014. Another PCA publication, the annual “SCORE” report, provides information and data on Minnesota’s solid waste management system, including recycling.
It is likely that bottle bills will make a return appearance during the 2014 legislative session. The Legislative Library has a variety of materials documenting past efforts to pass such a law including reports and news clippings. Contact the library to learn about these materials or to find information on how these laws have worked in other states.