LANSING, Mich. — One West Michigan lawmaker wants to see the state's bottle deposit program expanded and he hopes voters across the state will agree with him.
State Senator Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) is introducing a package of bills to grow the current bottle deposit system in multiple ways. If passed by the legislature, the proposal would go to voters in 2026.
Originally passed by a ballot proposal in 1976, Michigan's bottle and can deposit program has helped keep the remnants of carbonated drinks out of landfills. It has buyers pay a 10 cent deposit on every can or bottle purchased, which will be returned if the customer returns the container to a return center.
Senator McCann's proposal calls for a number of expansions.
Currently, stores are only obligated to accept returns of items they sell. So if you buy a drink only available at Target, those cans don't have to be accepted at the return center in Meijer. The proposal would require a store that sells even just one eligible drink to accept returns of all drink brands.
McCann also wants to include any beverage container one gallon or less in the deposit program, with an exception for milk, infant formula, and freezer containers. Fruit and vegetable juices at one-half a gallon or more would also be excluded.
The proposal would also create a public transparency program, including a site breaking down rate of return by county and the cost to maintain the program.
“Michigan’s ‘Bottle Bill’ has been one of the most successful public policy proposals ever enacted in our state and is our most widely used and accepted state conservation program,” said Senator McCann. “This unique proposal takes the most popular ideas to modernize our bottle deposit law and places the question before the voters. Our current law was initiated by the voters, and it feels fitting to give them the opportunity to transform recycling yet again in Michigan. Things like universal redemption and expansion to other containers like water bottles are popular and would continue to build upon this conservation staple in our state.”
The bill package has not yet been introduced in the Michigan Senate, but it does have the support of the Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association.
To fund the expansion, Senator McCann wants to dedicate $60 million from Corporate Income Tax revenue. This would create the Beverage Container Handling Fund in the state government.
That money would be spent through the following ways:
- 85% - Resource Recovery Fund, including grants for new equipment, technology advancement, research, and consumer education
- 6% - Bottle Bill Enforcement Fund, split between the Attorney General and Michigan State Police
- 6% - Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy for marketing participation
- 1.5% - Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy staffing and programs
- 1.5% - Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulator Affairs for staffing and programs
It's not clear if the proposal has any support from fellow lawmakers. If not passed by the end of the legislative session in December, the deposit program expansion would need to be resubmitted in 2025.
The final scheduled day of session is October 19.
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