The state of Kosrae is the only one of the four Federated States of Micronesia that has enacted bottle deposit legislation.
| Name of Program |
The Kosrae Recycling Program Regulation (Title 9, Ch. 22) [1] |
| Date Implemented | 1991, amended in 2007. [2] |
| Containers Covered |
|
| Refundable Deposit |
6¢ USD (5¢ USD is returned to the consumer at time of return) |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Put into Treasury Recycling Fund. |
| Fees and Taxes |
1¢ USD of the deposit is non-refundable and kept by the system operator. |
| Program Success |
Total return rate (2017): [3]
|
Details
Kosrae is an island-state part of the Federated States of Micronesia, and is the only island-state within the country to have an established container deposit program. Passed in 1991, the program had a 2-year hiatus from 2004 to 2006 due to logistical challenges in implementing and maintaining the program. The container deposit program has since been amended to include a handling fee to cover operational costs and to cover more container types. [4]
Currently, the system is administered and operated by the Micronesian Eco Corporation, under the authority of the Kosrae State Government. They operate the Kosrae Recycling Facility, which processes all collected materials on the island. They also collect materials from the community monthly for processing, which are then exported elsewhere. [5]
Footnotes
[1] "KSC, Title 9. Taxation and Revenue Sharing." LIS Project. Last accessed May 4, 2021.
[2] "Global Deposit Book 2020: An Overview of Deposit Systems for One-Way Beverage Containers." Reloop Inc. December 15, 2020.
[3] Ibid.
[4] "Kosrae Trash Talk: Kosrae Recycling Project Newsletter." United Nations Development Programme Kosrae Project. November 2006.
[5] "Feature: Kosrae recycles trash, saving the environment and helping the economy." Pacific Islands Forum. November 22, 2012.
Last Updated on May 22, 2023.