COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Michigan grocery stores and independent retailers are mounting a push to repeal or heavily modify the state’s iconic 50-year-old “Bottle Bill,” arguing that forcing food retail establishments to accept dirty beverage containers is a major sanitation and financial burden.
A recent survey by the Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) revealed that an overwhelming 90% of member retailers strongly support moving bottle and can returns entirely out of grocery stores. Store owners emphasize that handling sticky, pest-ridden returns in the same facilities that house fresh produce and meats creates a severe conflict with strict food safety standards.
Additionally, a University of Michigan study highlighted that the outdated system imposes roughly $90 million in cost pressures on the retail industry annually due to necessary investments in reverse vending machines, labor, and dedicated storage square footage
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While lawmakers have recently introduced bipartisan bills to refine the return process and add consumer protections, retail advocates insist it is time to pivot toward modern, comprehensive recycling alternatives.
Proponents of a repeal note that consumer return rates dropped to an all-time low of roughly 70% in 2025, compared to historic highs near 90%, signaling that the current model is losing its efficacy.
Industry leaders point out that over 65% of Michigan communities now have access to curbside recycling infrastructure that did not exist when the 10-cent deposit law was drafted in 1976.
MIRA representatives say that they are not seeking to abandon environmental progress, but rather to shift the collection burden off grocers, stating, “What we’re advocating is that now is the time to start thinking about a more modern way to do it and to alleviate this burden that we put on our retailers for 50 years.”
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