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Bottle bills, also known as container deposit return laws, are the practice of adding a small deposit on top of the price of a beverage. This is repaid to the consumer when the empty can or bottle is returned to a retailer or redemption center for recycling. Think of it as buying the beverage, and borrowing the packaging. By giving people an incentive to return their recyclables, this method has been proven to reduce litter and increase the recycling rates of containers.

Currently, 10 states throughout the U.S. have a bottle bill: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. In 1953, Vermont became the first state to pass a bottle bill, which prohibited the sale of beer in non-refillable bottles. While this law differed from bottle bills as we know them today, it raised awareness of litter, conservation and waste management issues. In 1971, Oregon became the first state to pass a bill that required all beer and soft drink containers to have refundable deposits as a litter-control measure.

Check out the below infographic to learn more about how the bottle bill works in each state.