National bottle bill could reach Congress as soon as March

Feb. 9, 2022

Per Resource Recycling, two West Coast lawmakers are planning to introduce a national container deposit bill that, because of industry engagement, has a better chance of passing than past proposals.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) plan to introduce the legislation by mid-March, according to Resource Recycling.

The proposal will be an update to the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act already introduced by Lowenthal and Merkley in the current 117th Congress. That was an omnibus bill encompassing many different topics for better waste management and plastic reduction nationwide. It proposed a nationwide deposit program of 10¢ on all eligible containers,

The draft of the new bill was largely developed with input from Texans for Clean Water, an advocacy group, that is seeking to create a standardized bottle deposit system for the country. It would require minimum recycled content percentages for certain plastic container types; deposits could be set at 10¢ for containers under 24 fluid ounces and 15¢ for larger ones.

The bill's language is undergoing revision during bipartisan talks and is subject to change, Resource Recycling reported.

Visit the Bottle Bill Resource Guide for more information about container recycling laws.

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