Allan Gerlat, News Editor

January 10, 2014

1 Min Read
Minnesota Considering Bottle Deposit Law

Minnesota is considering a 10-cent bottle deposit law, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued a cost benefit analysis that determined it would increase bottle recycling by about 1.9 million units.

The study commissioned by the St. Paul-based agency reported that the cost to implement the system being considered could total $29 million annually.

The study, conducted by Reclay StewardEdge Inc., notes that the system Minnesota is considering is different from the other 10 states with deposit laws. In addition to the 10-cent fee, Minnesota wants for the retail industry to have no obligation to accept returns or support redemption sites in the vicinity of retail establishments.

In addition to increasing recycling, the report states that the quality of commodities collected would improve compared with existing recycling systems.

Annual revenue from the law would be $545 million, in deposits received and the sale of processed materials.

It would create a net gain of 1,064 refund system jobs, according to the report.

The report was due to be delivered to the state legislature by Jan. 15, but that has been delayed.

About the Author(s)

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like