| Original Law | 1989 Amendment | 2003 | Current Law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Beverage Container Recovery Law | |||
| Purpose | To provide an economic incentive for consumers to return used beverage containers and encourage conservation of materials and energy through recycling and reuse | |||
| Enacted | Legislative override of governor's veto, 6/4/81 | 1989 | ||
| Implemented | 1/1/1983 | 1990 | ||
| Beverages Covered | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | ||
| Containers Covered | any sealable bottle, can, jar, or carton of glass, metal, plastic, or combo. Excludes biodegradables. | |||
| Amount of Deposit | 5¢ | 5¢ | ||
| Redemption Rate | overall 68.6% (h) | 70.3% in FY2009 (i) | ||
| Reclamation System | Retail stores and redemption centers | Retail stores and redemption centers | ||
| Unredeemed Deposits | All unredeemed deposits become property of state (since '95) | Property of the state, for MSW education | Sent to state general fund | Property of state general fund |
| Handling Fee | 1¢ | 2.25¢ | ||
| View Legislation | ||||
| Notes | Wholesalers must file monthly reports w/Dept. of Revenue regarding deposit & refund. | Survived repeal by referendum effort in 1982 by a 60% to 40% vote. | ||
Footnotes[h]Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, MA Bottle Bill Return Rates Chart (Jan.-Sept., 2004). [i] Source: Mass. DEP, MA BOTTLE BILL RETURN RATE INFORMATION FY 1990 - FY 2009 [pdf] |
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