This article appeared in the October 2023 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.
Most states with deposit return systems saw static or reduced bottle redemption rates in 2022, according to new data from the Container Recycling Institute (CRI). The research showed that 2022 beverage container redemption rates in seven of the nine U.S. states with available data on their bottle bills were either lower than or remained within 1 percentage point of their 2021 rates.
Oregon and Maine are the only states that saw a noticeable increase. Iowa did not have current data available.
Susan Collins, president of CRI, said in the press release that stagnant or falling redemption rates “point to the need for program modernizations – such as higher container deposit amounts, coverage of more beverage types and additional convenient options for consumers to return bottles and cans.”
The chart below shows yearly bottle redemption rates for several of the states in the dataset.
This article appeared in the October 2023 issue of Resource Recycling. Subscribe today for access to all print content.
