Michigan bottle return facilities to resume operations by June 15

LANSING, Mich. – On Monday, Treasury issued a Notice Regarding Phased Reestablishment of Michigan’s Bottle Deposit Return Program.

UPDATE: Michigan stores can start accepting bottle, can returns immediately

By June 15, retailers must reopen their bottle return facilities and resume the collection of returnable beverage containers and refund of customer bottle deposits.

This applies to retailers with bottle return facilities located at the front of the store or housed in a separate area and serviced exclusively by reverse vending machines requiring minimal or no person-to-person contact.

Retailers reopening their bottle return facilities must ensure those facilities comply with all state-mandated safety protocols and restrictions, including the most recent state-mandated safeguards to protect workers.

In addition, retailers may take any or all of the following steps:

• Limit the number of beverage containers that may be returned by a single individual per day to a deposit refund amount of $25, pursuant to MCL 445.572(10).
• Establish special or limited hours of operation for bottle return facilities.
• Limit the number of available and operating reverse vending machines.
• Periodically close bottle deposit facilities as needed for cleaning and supply management.
• Implement such other procedures or restrictions as each retailer may determine are necessary or advisable to promote safety and/or efficiency.

During this initial phase, retailers must limit the volume of weekly returned beverage containers to no more than 140 percent of their average weekly collection volume for the period April and May 2019.

Consumers have the option of recycling their returnable beverage containers if they choose not to return them to a bottle deposit redemption facility.

Treasury will issue further guidance regarding additional phases of the reestablishment of the bottle deposit program in the near future.

The collection of returnable beverage containers was temporarily suspended via Executive Order No. 2020-21, issued by Governor Whitmer on March 23, 2020. The temporary suspension supported Michigan’s fight against the coronavirus by permitting grocery stores and other retailers to immediately shift employees from container collection and deposit redemption duties to other areas where they were more urgently needed, and to protect the health and safety of retailers, their employees, and all Michigan citizens.

Questions regarding the phase-in of the reestablished bottle return program can be directed to Treas_MiscTaxesFees@michigan.gov.

To stay informed on the latest information from Treasury follow the state Treasury Department on Twitter at @MITreasury.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

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