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April 16, 2026 Rain | 60°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.2245 194th (Current)

An Act to expand the Bottle Bill

By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2245) of Cynthia Stone Creem, Joanne M. Comerford and James B. Eldridge for legislation to expand the Bottle Bill. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
Cynthia Stone Creem
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means
This bill would modernize the bottle deposit system in order reduce litter in our parks and along our roads, slash greenhouse gas emissions, save cities and towns millions on waste removal, support thousands of jobs, and generate hundreds of millions in revenue. It would do by expanding the deposit system to include containers as small as nips and as large as one gallon, and to include more types of beverages such as water, energy drinks, and iced teas. It would increase the deposit from five to 10 cents, which has led to substantial gains in redemption rates in other states. In Oregon, the redemption rate jumped from 64 percent to 86 percent in the three years after the deposit went up to 10 cents. The bill would increase the handling fees paid to retailers and redemption centers—a change that would increase the number of redemption points, making it easier for consumers to return their beverage containers. The bill would exempt retailers of less than 2,000 square from the requirement of accepting containers for redemption. It would direct unclaimed deposits in excess of $70 million to the re-established Clean Environment Fund, to be used for administering the deposit system and for programs related to solid waste management and environmental protection. The Container Recycling Institute projects that the passing this amendment would lead to an additional 3.1 billion containers being recycled annually in Massachusetts. Because producing new containers from virgin materials produces emissions, those 3.1 billion recycled containers would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 182,000 metric tons per year—the equivalent of removing 39,600 cars from the road. The bill would also reduce costs for cities and towns. According to the think tank Reloop, this amendment would save municipalities more than $36 million each year by diverting beverage containers that they would otherwise have to collect and process. The Container Recycling Institute has found that the existing bottle deposit system supports 1,800 jobs all around the Commonwealth, and that this bill would create hundreds more. The bill would also generate significant revenue for the Commonwealth. In the first year of it taking effect, unclaimed deposits are projected to increase from $71 million to $281 million—leading to $210 million in new revenues.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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