Michigan was the first in the country to pass a bottle bill with a 10-cent deposit. It’s a system so legendary that it inspired an episode of Seinfeld.
But it’s been five decades since the bill was first voted on, and that 10-cent return doesn’t carry as much value as it once did. Adjusted for inflation, 10 cents in 1976 is worth about 59 cents today.
So is it still worth it for shoppers to bring their eligible bottles and cans back to the store? And does it make sense for Michigan to maintain a separate return system when curbside and community programs are already recycling?
In this episode of On Hand, we sort through the pros and cons of Michigan’s bottle return system:
GUESTS:
- Susan Collins, president of the Container Recycling Institute
- Shelie Miller, Jonathan W. Bulkley Collegiate Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan; co-director, Center for Sustainable Systems
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- Online Submission Form
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- Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org
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