The 10-Cent Incentive to Recycle Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2   The 10¢ Incentive: Needed Now More than Ever 3   Beverage Container Waste: Whose Responsibility Is It? 4   What is a Bottle Bill and How Does it Work? 5   Deposit Systems Produce Higher Recycling Rates 6   A 10¢ Incentive to Conserve Energy and Reduce Pollution 7   Beverage Container Litter: Unsightly, Dangerous, Costly 9   A Comprehensive Approach to Recycling 10   The Bottle Bill’s Impact on Jobs, Sales, Prices & Public Health    11   Public Support vs. Industry Opposition 12   Support for Bottle Bills is Widespread 14   The Need to Expand and Update Deposit Laws 16   Answers to Ten Frequently Asked Questions 19   Conclusion: Choosing the 10¢ Incentive 20   Endnotes

Introduction...

The introduction of disposable bottles and cans and the centralization of the beverage industry in the 1950’s
effectively killed the refillable bottle. For over a century, bottlers had operated a voluntary deposit-return system,
which was a mainstay of the American cultural landscape. Disposable packaging ended the period of wartime
frugality: changing consumer habits permanently, and causing container litter to mushroom across the
physical landscape.

In response to the growing litter problem, activists and policymakers fought to secure mandatory deposits
on throwaway containers. In 1971, Oregon enacted the nation’s first law placing a mandatory, refundable 5¢ deposit
on all beer and soda cans and bottles. Vermont followed suit the following year. In effect, this legislation
codified the older, voluntary deposit, which for years had functioned well as an incentive to recycle and a disincentive
to litter. Encouraged by the results, advocates in dozens of other states campaigned for deposit laws, and
by 1986, “bottle bills” were in place in 10 states. Several states have expanded their laws to include wine, liquor
and/or non-carbonated beverages. Three decades after Oregon and Vermont made history, their deposit systems
are still going strong.

...Bottle bills are popular because they are effective at reducing litter in urban, rural, and recreational areas;
keeping trash out of landfills and incinerators; raising funds for community groups; and saving energy and resources
—and reducing pollution—on a global level.

Container recycling rates in deposit states average 75% to 80%: two to three times higher than in nondeposit
states. In Michigan, where the deposit is a dime, more than 95% of containers sold are recycled.
The environmental benefits of these high recycling rates are pronounced. In Michigan alone, an estimated
85 billion aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles have been recycled through the bottle bill since 1979, saving
the energy equivalent of over 30 million barrels of oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 4.5 million
tons. From Oregon to New York, bottle bills have also cut beverage container litter by 70% to 85%, and lowered
overall litter by 30% to 65%.

... While municipal curbside recycling programs tripled nationally during the 1990’s, they have been unable to
keep up with increasing sales of single-serving beverages and away-from-home consumption of food and drinks.
An estimated 118 billion beverage bottles and cans were landfilled, littered or incinerated in 2002—83% more
than were wasted in 1992, and more than twice the amount wasted in 1982. Now that cities can no longer afford
to pick up the tab, the economic and environmental roles played by deposits are more important than ever....

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