Bills aim to make bottle, can returns easier in Michigan with new guidelines and clearer rules [zb6jzQul7nY]
2026 marks 50 years since Michigan's bottle and can return law passed, but after decades on the books, the landmark effort to tackle litter and promote conservation faces issues. From big box stores to corner shops, every retailer that sells you a soda or beer must take the cans back. In 2025 alone, around 69.4% of bottled and canned beverages bought in Michigan were returned. Returns should be as easy as putting it into a machine at a retailer, but State Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) reports one constituent had trouble in downtown Kalamazoo. "They were trying to return the 10 cent deposit cans and bottles to a local retail store," Rogers said. "They faced all kinds of barriers, and so I actually was really intrigued by this and tried doing so myself that year, and I met all kinds resistance too." Rogers said there are gray areas, with stores limiting hours they accept returns or turning them away due to a broken machine. "It's really unfair to the people on the lower socioeconomic end of the spectrum that rely on getting their 10 cent deposit back. It's unfair for them to not be able to easily do so," Rogers said. She's seeking new guidelines. "If you sell the cans and bottles as a retailer, it is your responsibility to take those cans and bottles back and provide the consumer with their 10 cent deposit between the hours of 8 a.m. And 11 p.m., or whatever hours your store is open," Rogers said. State Rep. Doug Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) joined Rogers by proposing requirements that retailers take returns at the counter if their machines are unavailable. “These are common-sense solutions to everyday problems that Michigan consumers are increasingly encountering when trying to return their bottles and cans,” Wozniak said. “These reforms ensure that the system remains convenient and effective.” Some retailers, however, call the return law itself unfair. "It's kind of turned our retailers into de facto recycling centers, which is something that they were never meant to to be," Bill Wild, president and CEO of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association, said. Critics said the practice is unsanitary and burdensome, with a University of Michigan study finding returns cost businesses more than $127 million annually. They also point to declining participation, as returns used to hover around 90%. "I think that the modern recycling, the processes that are in place, are a much better way to do it," Wild said. "Whether that be curbside recycling, which 65% of Michigan's communities have access to, or the 75% of recycling opportunities that all communities have." Retailers contend they don't want litter-lined roads and appreciate the new bills' consumer protections, but maintain change is needed. "We are not advocating to throw this thing out the window like they used to do with bottles and cans in the 70s," Wild said. "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." The bills are currently in committee and have bipartisan support. Rogers hopes that if the bills pass, it will help drive up return numbers back to the 90% range. Wild said conversations continue with lawmakers to change the return law. _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: WWMT on Facebook: WWMT on Twitter: Subscribe to WWMT on YouTube: WWMT Daily News Digest: For more information, visit Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 800.875.3333 WWMT is a MI based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #WWMT #NEWSCHANNEL3 #Kalamazoo #Michigan