Michigan bottle bill

A listener shares just how much the 10-cent bottle deposit meant to Central Michigan University students in the 70s.

As gas prices rise, electric vehicles are becoming more affordable for many drivers. Plus, Michigan is piloting a new program that brings free pre‑K for 4‑year‑olds into licensed home‑based child care settings. Then, an episode of On Hand gets to the bottom of Michigan's bottle deposit—and whether it still delivers on its promise.

Is it really worth our time to haul returnables to the store for just 10 cents each? And is it worth it for Michigan’s recycling industry to maintain a bottle deposit system when we already have curbside recycling?

Since the height of the COVID pandemic, Michigan has seen a decline in its bottle returns. Some argue the almost 50-year-old system should be updated.

The council wants to change what containers residents can return and how they redeem them.

Michigan residents threw away millions of vape pens, $130 million in bottle deposits and literal tons of food waste in 2023. That’s according to a report by the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.

Democratic lawmakers have sponsored bills to expand Michigan’s 10 cent returnable can and bottle law.

Michigan’s 10-cent bottle deposit law has been on the books since 1976. It covers can and bottles for carbonated beverages – soda, pop, beer, seltzer and…

A federal judge says a state law requiring beer and cans sold in Michigan to have specific markings is not against federal laws.State lawmakers amended…