Original Law1989 Amendment2008 AmendmentsCurrent Law
Name Michigan Beverage Container Act
Purpose To reduce roadside litter, clean up the environment, and conserve energy and natural resources
Enacted 11/2/1976   2008, various dates  
Implemented 12/3/1978 7/27/1989 various dates  
Beverages Covered Beer, soft drink, carbonated and mineral water Added wine coolers and canned cocktails   Beer, soft drinks, carbonated & mineral water, wine coolers, canned cocktails
Containers Covered Any airtight metal, glass, paper, or plastic container, or a combination, under 1 gallon     Any airtight metal, glass, paper, or plastic container, or a combination, under 1 gallon
Amount of Deposit Refillables 5¢; Non-refillables 10¢ Changed to 10¢ for all container types   10¢
Redemption Rate   CY ’14 94.2% [a]
Reclamation System Retail stores     Retail stores
Unredeemed Deposits   Entitled retailers to 25% of unclaimed deposits   75% to state for envt’l programs, 25% to retailers 
Handling Fee None     None
Notes     Requires a machine-readable state-specific mark to be printed on most beverage containers indicating to RVMs whether the container is redeemable; increases penalties for fraudulent redemption.  

Footnotes

[a] Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, Bottle Deposit Information Chart, 1990-2014. [pdf]