Massachusetts Bottle Bill History
| Original Law | 1989 Amendment | 2003 | 2010 | 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 | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | ||
| Containers Covered | Any sealable bottle, can, jar, or carton of glass, metal, plastic, or combo. Excludes biodegradables. | Any sealable bottle, can, jar, or carton of glass, metal, plastic, or combo. Excludes biodegradables. | |||
| Amount of Deposit | 5¢ | 5¢ | 5¢ | ||
| Redemption Rate |
For historical and current redemption rates, see main Massachusetts page. |
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| Reclamation System | Retail stores and redemption centers | 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 | Property of state general fund |
| Handling Fee | 1¢ | 2.25¢ | Redemption Centers 3.25¢ [b] Retailers - 2.25¢ | ||
| 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[a] Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection E-mail Communication with Sean Sylver. January 8, 2016. [b] Regulary change in 2013 raised the handling fee for redemption centers to 3.25¢. Personal communication with Sean Sylver, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. October 19, 2020. |
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