| Original Law | 1989 Amendment | 2003 | 2010 | Current Law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Beverage Container Recovery Law | ||||
| Purpose | To provide an economic incentive for consumers to return used beverage containers and encourage conservation of materials and energy through recycling and reuse | ||||
| Enacted | Legislative override of governor's veto, 6/4/81 | 1989 | |||
| Implemented | 1/1/1983 | 1990 | |||
| Beverages Covered | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | Beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, & mineral water | ||
| Containers Covered | any sealable bottle, can, jar, or carton of glass, metal, plastic, or combo. Excludes biodegradables. | Any sealable bottle, can, jar, or carton of glass, metal, plastic, or combo. Excludes biodegradables. | |||
| Amount of Deposit | 5¢ | 5¢ | 5¢ | >||
| Redemption Rate | overall 68.6% (h) | 72.3% as of May 2010 (i) | CY '14 (Jan. - Dec. 2014) 64.08% FY '14 (Jul. '14 - June '15) 58.97% (a) |
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| Reclamation System | Retail stores and redemption centers | Retail stores and redemption centers | Retail stores and redemption centers | ||
| Unredeemed Deposits | All unredeemed deposits become property of state (since '95) | Property of the state, for MSW education | Sent to state general fund | Property of state general fund | Property of state general fund (more information) |
| Handling Fee | 1¢ | 2.25¢ | Redemption Centers - 3.25¢[b] Retailers - 2.25¢ | ||
| View Legislation | |||||
| Notes | Wholesalers must file monthly reports w/Dept. of Revenue regarding deposit & refund. | Survived repeal by referendum effort in 1982 by a 60% to 40% vote. | |||
Footnotes[a] Source: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection E-mail Communication with Sean Sylver 1/8/16 |
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