Mandatory Beverage Container Deposits
In 10 states, glass bottles are collected through a mandatory beverage container deposit program. Residents pay a deposit on glass bottles and other containers and then return them to a collection center for redemption. According to the Container Recycling Institute, states with bottle bills have an average glass container recycling rate of just over 63%.
Laws and deposit amounts differ from state to state, but all tend to:
- Improve the quality of glass collected for recycling.
- Increase the percentage of containers going to bottle-to-bottle recycling.
- Exclude some glass containers (like wine and liquor bottles).
States with Mandatory Beverage Container Deposit Programs
Popular South African wine brand Two Oceans is now available in the US. All Two Oceans wines from the 2010 vintage carry the Sustainable Wine South Africa (SWSA) seal, backed by a sophisticated tracking system in which bottle contents can be traced back to source at every stage of the supply chain to confirm the integrity of their production. The top-selling wine is packaged in a 750 mL glass bottle.
Use our Carbon Calculator to find out how much energy you can save by recycling your glass containers.
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About the institute
The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is the trade association representing the North American glass container industry. Through GPI, glass container manufacturers speak with one voice to advocate industry standards, promote sound environmental policies and educate packaging professionals. GPI member companies manufacture glass containers for food, beverage, cosmetic and many other products. GPI also has associate members that represent a broad range of suppliers and closure manufacturers.
