Container deposit legislation requires payment of a deposit on the sale of most or all beverage containers and may require that a certain%age of beverage containers be allocated for refillables. The legislation shifts the costs of collecting and processing beverage containers from local governments and taxpayers to manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

While laws vary from state to state, even city to city, container deposit legislation generally provides a monetary incentive for returning beverage cans and bottles for recycling. Distributors and bottlers are required to collect a deposit from the retailer on each can and bottle sold. The retailer collects the deposit from consumers, reimbursing the consumer when the container is returned to the store. The retailer then collects the deposit from the distributor or bottler, completing the cycle. Consumers who choose not to return their cans and bottles lose their deposit, which usually...