Bottle bills are receiving renewed attention in state legislatures.
In 2026, states such as Illinois and Maryland considered proposals to establish new beverage container deposit and refund programs, while states with existing systems considered changes to deposit values, eligible containers, redemption access and program administration. California enacted measures addressing beverage container recycling and redemption, Connecticut approved changes to its redemption system and Hawaii considered proposals ranging from a higher deposit value to restructuring its program. Other proposals across the states addressed reverse vending machines, producer responsibility and the use of unclaimed deposits. Bottle bills may be decades old, but it seems like lawmakers aren’t ready to toss them out just yet.
This data is updated as of September 30, 2026
