This newsletter was originally published as part of Reimagining the Bottle Bill in April 2023

With bottle bills introduced in 12 states and talk of a federal bill, opinions fly in all directions. Too often, advocates propose, industry opposes, legislation stalls, and progress stops. Meanwhile, every minute worldwide, 2.5 million beverage containers are buried, burned, or littered.

Bottle Bill Common Ground is a limited-series newsletter from Reloop North America highlighting two sets of evidence-based guidance that legislators, policy makers, industry, and advocates could agree on:

• 10 high-performance principles for an effective deposit return systems (DRS)  
• 10 essential practices to build into legislation and the running of a DRS 

In each issue, Bottle Bill Common Ground will explain a single principle or practice for a meaningful, modern DRS. We will cover topics such as ease of use for consumers, production standards for industry, and compliance and enforcement measures for government. By following this roadmap, states can achieve major environmental and economic benefits.

Our first issue starts with Principle #1 from the 10 principles, based on well-researched and documented evidence that Reloop gathered on what makes DRS work for everyone.

Principle #1: Easy and equitable

Make deposit return system (DRS) simple for all consumers to understand and use. Establish a large network of redemption points, focused on retailers, so returning empties becomes a routine part of everyday life. In jurisdictions where the informal sector plays a critical role in collection and redemption, legally recognise and protect the rights of canners.

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  Resource: Fact Sheet  

  High-performance principles to modernize Deposit Return Systems

  Fact sheet introducing the key principals underpinning modern Deposit Return Systems in the United States.

This principle recognises that recycling containers depend first and foremost upon people’s willingness and motivation to participate.

Any effective DRS must be human-centred and provide practical incentives, such as making sure participants get refunds in cash immediately.

Reloop research on the impacts of DRS modernisation with a focus on ease and equity shows:

• High-performing DRSs are those designed with the redeemer in mind, be it a consumer or a canner
   
• Return-to-retail systems have the highest return rates — median 90%, compared with 76% in systems which either rely only on depots or have a combination of retail and depot.
   
• For DRS to be both easy and equitable, rural residents must be within five miles and urban residents within two miles of a redemption point.
  

Issue #2: 90% Collection Rate