This newsletter was originally published as part of Reimagining the Bottle Bill in May 2023
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
This second issue of Bottle Bill Common Ground focuses on Principle #2 of the 10 high-performance principles for an effective deposit return system (DRS) – 90% collection rate.
Principle #2: 90% collection rate
Set a high redemption target through legislation to hold producers accountable for meeting it, with enforced penalties if they do not.
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High-performance principles to modernize Deposit Return Systems
Fact sheet introducing the key principals underpinning modern Deposit Return Systems in the United States.
Establishing an ambitious collection rate target through legislation is critical to a high-performing DRS. From the outset, it defines a common goal for producers, retailers, and regulators, encouraging cooperation. Public policy impact can then be measured by the yardstick of meaningful targets. Otherwise, it is impossible to assess the effectiveness or efficiency of the DRS.
Most importantly, setting a 90% collection target ensures the DRS is designed to maximise waste prevention, litter reduction, and facilitate high levels of closed-loop recycling. Yes, a 90% target is ambitious but it is also clearly attainable — countries like Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, and Lithuania routinely exceed their 90% collection target. And stakeholders along the value chain in Europe are leading the way.
- An industry-led coalition in Europe came together to propose the European Commission introduce a 90% separate collection for recycling target by 2029 for beverage container packaging.
- That same industry coalition also called for adoption of DRS in member states whose collection performance fails to meet interim milestones needed to attain the 90% target.
Reloop North America’s research on the impacts of DRS modernisation modelled a 90% collection rate in five Northeast states and found these environmental impacts:
- 9.3 billion additional beverage containers recycled
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 121,000 cars off the road annually
- Up to a 34% reduction in overall litter
Perverse outcomes can result when collection targets are not as robust as 90%. For example, an inaccessible or inconvenient redemption network is simultaneously bad for the consumer experience (see Bottle Bill Common Ground #1) yet translates into lower system costs and greater unclaimed deposit funds.
Because of this, producers financing the systems and state agencies may each benefit from those unclaimed deposits. High redemption targets incentivise producers to optimise the user experience and access to return points.
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Issue #1:
Easy & Equitable
Issue #3:
10-Cent Minimum Deposit
