Bill text| Bill Number and Name | H 3590, South Carolina Beverage Container Recycling Act Bill text |
|---|---|
| Sponsors | Reps. J. E. Smith and Jefferson |
| Beverages Covered | Malt beverages, wine coolers, alcoholic juice beverages, all nonalcoholic beverages except milk. Excludes supplements, drugs, frozen and powdered drinks/mixes. |
| Containers Covered | glass, aluminum, steel, bimetal, or plastic, up to 2L |
| Deposits | 5¢ |
| Handling Fees | 2¢, paid by processors to redemption centers, in addition to the containers' scrap value |
| Other Fees / Taxes | "Container recovery fee," paid by manufacturer or distributor to the state. Begins at ¼ cent and increases to 1 cent. |
| Reclamation System | Redemption centers |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Retained by the state |
This bill is a thorough description of the potential deposit law in South Carolina, complete with incremental implementation dates and a detailed description of the parties involved and their responsibilities. For full details on these dates and key players, view the bill.
Some distinctive features include the requirement for a bar code with information about the container and its refund value.
The bill creates a 'deposit beverage container fund' where all deposits and fees are to be kept. The fund is used to cover program costs, and leftover funds may be used to support redemption centers and processors, as well as provide grants for litter control and recycling programs. These funds are never to revert into the general fund.
Retailers are not responsible for accepting empty containers under this system; instead all redemptions are handled by certified redemption centers. Redemption centers sell the containers certified processors, which recycle or sell the containers, pay handling fees to the redemption centers, and are in turn reimbursed by the Department of Revenue for refund values, handling fees, and administrative fees.
The handling fee is subject to change based on the availability of funds, but must remain in the range of 1 to 2 cents.
February 3, 2011: Introduced and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs