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.