Bottle Bills

Container recycling laws, or bottle bills, drastically increase the recycling of single-use containers, which decrease the amount of waste going into landfills or being littered, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.  Container recycling laws also strengthen curbside recycling.

For example, California, a bottle bill state, will recycle a record 18 billion used beverage containers this year, or 80% of every aluminum, glass and plastic container sold.  Recycling these materials conserves resources, reduces pollution, and saves local governments tens of millions of dollars in lower litter clean-up and waste disposal costs.  And it is virtually the same story in the 9 other states with similar recycling laws.

A recent study by the Container Recycling Institute found that bottle bill laws significantly increase the collection of clean, high-quality beverage containers, and recommended that those states that do not yet have a bottle bill should adopt one. 

See if your state has a bottle bill law, or current campaigns for bottle bill law, click here.

Learn more about the environmental benefits of bottle bills. 

There was a National Bottle Bill Campaign, HR 2046, in 2009 but the bill never became law.