Using data including state litter studies, the bill moved farther along than previous efforts, lending optimism to its potential to pass in 2027. | Andrew Yahin/Shutterstock
A bipartisan bill in Texas to introduce a bottle deposit return system ran out of time for a state House vote, but supporters see cause for optimism after a strong showing during the recently concluded biennial legislative session.
A secondary sorting facility pulling deposit containers out of mixed plastic bales was awarded funding from the state of California. | Hiv360/Shutterstock
California’s state recycling agency will provide $10 million toward a facility sorting plastics with resin codes 2-7, additional multimillion dollar grants for several major MRF retrofits, and a handful of smaller awards for localities to install recycling collection containers. Continue Reading
There are three extended producer responsibility for packaging bills active in Washington right now, and many more for EPR covering other materials. | Zack Frank/Shutterstock
Washington state has a handful of extended producer responsibility bills on the move, covering packaging, beverage containers, organics and more. Continue Reading
Wine and distilled spirits in bottles, boxes, bladders, pouches or similar containers were added to the California redemption system in 2022, and the state is working through rulemaking and implementation. | Monticello/Shutterstock
Industry representatives shared concerns about PCR requirements, wine bottle labeling rules and how to handle plastic bladder bags inside beverage boxes during an Oct. 29 informal rulemaking workshop on California’s SB 1013. Continue Reading
California sent a handful of bills to the governor’s desk, including bills on plastic film and the deposit return system. | Natalie Board/Shutterstock
Several states end their legislative sessions in late summer, including Massachusetts and California, and in the final days several bills relating to plastics recycling passed both legislative chambers.
Grants of $70 million will lead to 250 new sites for Californians to redeem used beverage containers. | Pichetw/Shutterstock
In an effort to boost used beverage container redemption access, the state of California provided nearly $70 million in grants to open 250 new redemption sites across the state. Continue Reading
The DRS redemption rate decreases ranged from 1% to 4%, with only two states tallying increases. | photobeps/Shutterstock
New data from the Container Recycling Institute showed falling beverage container redemption rates in most states with deposit return systems in 2023, which advocates said shows the need to modernize aging systems.
The paper from MIT researchers used a 10-cent deposit model to explore the potential effects on MRFs. | Emilija Miljkovic/Shutterstock
A nationwide 10-cent deposit on PET beverage containers could push the recycling rate for the material to over 80% in the next decade with a high level of bottle-to-bottle circularity, a MIT study suggested. Continue Reading
SB 1013 brought more container types into the California Redemption Value system but also removed an option for retailers to choose to pay a $100 daily fee instead of accepting returned containers. | Andrii Koval/Shutterstock
Formal rulemaking for changes to California’s deposit system is about to begin, and draft rules shed more light on new requirements for beverage dealers and retailers. Continue Reading
After a 2022 program overhaul allowed most retailers to opt out of deposit system container collection, a report from Cleaner Iowa found that there are 29 counties without a redemption center. | Veja/Shutterstock
Overhauls to Iowa’s bottle bill in 2022 that allowed retailers to opt out of collection are reducing access, as industry players warned when the bill passed. But redemption centers are stepping up to help solve the problem – including by launching a new bag drop program. Continue Reading