Iowa grocers are pushing to change the state’s bottle deposit law in hopes of shifting the recycling effort out of their businesses because they no longer want to handle unsanitary cans and bottles.
The law requires consumers to pay a five-cent deposit when purchasing beverage containers. Consumers are refunded the deposit when they return the container to a store or redemption center. The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is working to replace the law with an expanded statewide recycling and litter control program. Opponents of the law repeal fear that litter would increase.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state recycles about 86% of its beverage containers.