See Campaign History for the stories behind many of these changes.
| Original Law | Solid Waste Act (1987) | Act 123 of 2009 | Current Law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Beverage Container Law | |||
| Purpose | Reduce litter, increase recycling, reduce waste disposal costs, create local jobs and save energy | |||
| Enacted | 4/7/1972 | 1987 | May 8, 2008 | |
| Implemented | 7/1/1973 | 1/1/1991 | ||
| Beverages Covered | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, mixed wine drinks | Liquor was included | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, mixed wine drinks; liquor | |
| Containers Covered | Any bottle, can, jar or carton composed of glass, metal, paper, plastic or any combination (Biodegradables excluded) | Any bottle, can, jar or carton composed of glass, metal, paper, plastic or any combination (Biodegradables excluded) | ||
| Amount of Deposit | liquor: 15¢ All others: 5¢ | liquor: 15¢ All others: 5¢ | ||
| Redemption Rate | overall 90-95% (l) | overall 85% (m) | ||
| Reclamation System | Retail stores and redemption centers, If retailer is located conveniently near a licensed center and thereby gains state approval, retailer may refuse containers | Retail stores and redemption centers, If retailer is located conveniently near a licensed center and thereby gains state approval, retailer may refuse containers | ||
| Unredeemed Deposits | Retained by distributor/bottlers | Retained by distributor/bottlers | ||
| Handling Fee | 1¢ | Changed from 3.5¢ to 4¢ for brand-sorted containers and 3.5¢ for commingled brands | 4¢ for brand-sorted containers and 3.5¢ for commingled brands | |
| View Legislation | Text of law | Act 123 | Current Law | |
| Notes | ||||
Footnotes[l] Source Vermont Solid Waste Division, as per phone conversation with Cathy Stacey on 9/24/01 (year 2000 estimate). [m] Source: Vermont Solid Waste Division, as per phone conversation with Cathy Stacey on 4/8/10 |
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