What is a Deposit Return System (DRS)?
DRS places a small, refundable fee on purchases of bottles and cans. When consumers return their beverage containers to designated drop-off locations, that fee is refunded—incentivizing consumers to recycle containers at risk of becoming litter.
DRS vs. Other Collection Methods
Only 10 states (Bottle Bill States) currently have DRS recycling refund programs, each with their own deposit values. Eligible container types and redemption processes such as curbside collection versus deposit centers vary across the U.S.
Learn more about the 10 Bottle Bill States here.
Quality Matters! The Importance of DRS
Sorted, clean glass requires less sorting, resulting in less contamination and energy consumption.
Single-stream or Commingled material is collected and recycled together with paper, small plastics, organic materials, metals & other miscellaneous materials that contaminate recycled glass, producing more residue than viable glass.
Glass recovered through the DRS system has been shown to result in double, sometimes triple, the amount of glass recovered compared to the amount sourced from commingled, single-streams. Additionally, DRS-recovered glass yields three times more clean, usable cullet that can actually be remade into new containers.
Read our blog for glass recycling tips to ensure maximum sustainability.