Retailers to Accept Bottle Deposit Returns Beginning June 15
Good news if you have bunches of empty bottles sitting around, just waiting to be returned: Starting June 15, some retailers will be allowed to reopen their bottle return facilities.
The Michigan Department of Treasury announced the news Monday (June 1).
The reopening of bottle return facilities “applies to retailers with bottle return facilities located at the front of the store or housed in a separate area and serviced exclusively by reverse vending machines requiring minimal or no person-to-person contact,” according to a release.
Retailers reopening their bottle return facilities must adhere to state guidelines in accordance with health and safety measures.
Retailers must do the following, according to the release:
- Limit the number of beverage containers that may be returned by a single individual per day to a deposit refund amount of $25, pursuant to MCL 445.572(10).
- Establish special or limited hours of operation for bottle return facilities.
- Limit the number of available and operating reverse vending machines.
- Periodically close bottle deposit facilities when necessary for cleaning and supply management.
- Implement such other procedures or restrictions as each retailer may determine are necessary or advisable to promote safety and/or efficiency.
- The volume of weekly returns for beverage containers is limited to no more than 140 percent of the retailers’ average weekly collection volume for the period of April and May, 2019.
People may also choose to recycle their returnable bottles without getting a deposit.
