Why don't all states have bottle refund programs?

State and local waste management has substantially advanced in the last 20 years. Now unseparated trash can be easily separated as glass, plastic and aluminum at the plant. Some states continue to encourage customers to separate their own trash which saves money and man hours, but is weakly enforced. read more

Most states regard it as a tax, which they are unwilling to impose. The program in Massachusetts which started in the 1980's has ben a success and bottle and cans have disappeared from roadsides and beaches. It does not include water bottles, those are still in evidence. read more

Beverage container deposit laws, or bottle bills, are designed to reduce litter and capture bottles, cans, and other containers for recycling. Ten states and Guam have a deposit-refund system for beverage containers. Deposit amounts vary from two cents to 15 cents, depending on the type of beverage and volume of the container. read more