Advocates of a 1970s law that gives Iowans a nickel when they return their bottles and cans said the majority of the state supports keeping or expanding the law to make container redemption more accessible.
A statewide survey released Tuesday by Cleaner Iowa found that 72% of Iowans support or strongly support the law and half of Iowans would prefer to keep or expand its scope.
Cleaner Iowa presented the results of the survey at a news conference at the State Capitol, where an introduced bill would expand the types of beverages eligible for container redemption in the state.
The “bottle bill,” as it is called, was enacted in 1978 and means Iowans pay 5 cents on each eligible can, bottle or container at the store and then have the opportunity to get their nickel back if they return the containers to appropriate redemption centers.
A 2022 law allowed some retailers to opt out of the redemption process and now, according to Cleaner Iowa’s analysis of Iowa Department of Natural Resource data, 26 counties do not have an eligible redemption center.
Cleaner Iowa’s poll of Iowa voters found that 64% of Iowans say redeeming their bottles and cans has become more difficult since the 2022 law.
Troy Willard, the owner of the Can Shed, a redemption center serving parts of eastern Iowa, said in the nearly 30 years he has been in business, there have been “polls upon polls” asking about public support for the program. He said the polls always show there is support for the program.
Willard said there is a need for more redemption centers like his in rural Iowa counties, but it’s difficult for redemption centers to have a viable business in a small area. Legislation that expanded the containers eligible for redemption could be part of a solution and help more redemption centers to open, he said.
Willard’s company is looking to expand with more “reverse vending” machines and the Can Shed’s app, Bottle Drop Iowa, both of which make can redemption more convenient.
The Iowa Beverage Association also created an interactive map that helps Iowans find redemption centers in their areas as a response to the drop off of redemption locations following the 2022 law.
R.G. Schwarm, Cleaner Iowa’s executive director, said the organization is not asking to repeal the 2022 law that exempted retailers from redeeming cans. The law also increased the handling fee, which was beneficial to redemption centers.
“What we are trying to do is identify ways to have more redemption,” Schwarm said. “… We need to be creative and figure out ways where we can fill gaps in those counties.”
Schwarm said a 2026 House-introduced bill could be one way to fill those gaps in the system.
‘Same can, same thing’ bill
A bill that advanced from a House subcommittee Monday would amend the definition of “beverage” in the state’s bottle bill to include noncarbonated drinks that are in similar packaging to other accepted beverages.
House Study Bill 661 was introduced by Rep. Devon Wood, R-New Market, who said she realized the need for a change in the law when cans of an uncarbonated version of her favorite energy drink were not accepted for the redemption program, but cans with the carbonated version were accepted.
“In my opinion, it should be the same can, same thing,” Wood said.
Evan Burger, the co-owner of Ames Bottle and Can, spoke at the subcommittee hearing and said his customers are similarly confused when two seemingly identical cans fall into different redemption categories.
“It’s confusing to the customer when you’ve got two Celsius cans and one of them has five cents and one doesn’t, same material, same everything,” Burger said. “This is an easy, small solution to make the system work a little bit better.”
Several grocery stores and convenience stores registered against the bill.
Brad Epperly, representing the Iowa Grocery Industry Association at the subcommittee meeting, said expanding to additional containers would “add a tax” to Iowans since most do not participate in the redemption process.
Epperly said the association was undecided on the bill, but he urged lawmakers to develop other ways to help Iowans recycle their beverage containers, rather than expand the bottle bill.
Lawmakers on the subcommittee supported the bill and advanced it Monday.
The bill was removed from the House Natural Resources Committee schedule of bills for consideration on Tuesday. If the bill does not advance from its committee by the end of the week, it may be cut off for consideration this session via the legislative funnel.
