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The beverage container redemption rate in Connecticut climbed from 44% in calendar year (CY) 2023 to 65% in CY 2024 following the implementation of significant deposit return system (DRS, aka bottle bill) program improvements, according to data released by the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), a national nonprofit recycling industry authority. However, eight of the nine other DRS states with available information showed changes ranging from a 1% increase to a 3% decrease, and overall, redemption rates have dropped significantly in the last decade.

Findings from CRI鈥檚 data compilation include the following. For updated data on all 10 U.S. deposit state programs, see the chart at the end of this document. For further details, go to www.bottlebill.org, click on 鈥淓xisting Programs,鈥� 鈥淯SA鈥� and then 鈥淐ompare all states鈥� or an individual state.

In addition, a new CRI analysis released, with聽 more information on the provisions in Connecticut鈥檚 DRS modernization law and results to date, is available on CRI鈥檚 Publications website page.

*聽 For Iowa, a detailed study conducted by CRI determined the state鈥檚 2022 recovery rate for beverage containers on deposit at 49%. Recovery rate refers to containers redeemed through the state鈥檚 DRS, as well as those recycled through curbside or drop-off programs. ** For Hawaii, the redemption rate covers FY 2023-2024.

CRI President Susan Collins pointed to the carefully crafted, phased approach to the DRS improvements in Connecticut鈥檚 Senate Bill 1037 (signed into law in 2021) as key to ensuring successful results, with upgrades including:

• Effective Oct. 1, 2021: Raising handling fees for retailers and redemption centers to cover increases in operating costs and help ensure the sites鈥� financial viability.
• Effective Oct. 1, 2021: Requiring chain stores that meet certain criteria to provide at least two reverse vending machines (RVMs) for consumers.
• Effective Oct. 1, 2021: Creating a $5 million grant program to establish new redemption centers in underserved areas.
• Effective Jan. 1, 2023: Adding non-carbonated beverages and malt-based hard seltzer to the DRS program.
• Effective Jan. 1, 2024: Increasing the deposit-refund amount for covered beverages from 5垄 to 10垄.

Per the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), the 2024 beverage container redemption rate rose in each quarter, ending at 77% in Q4 (see chart below). In that quarter, more than 361 million containers were redeemed, compared to 168 million in Q1 2021. Also, since SB 1037 passed, the聽 number of available redemption centers has doubled and RVMs have been added to 300 stores that previously didn鈥檛 have them 鈥� making container returns more convenient for consumers. (Note: When fully enacted, the Connecticut law鈥檚 name changed to Public Act (PA) 21-58.)

Driving Improvements in Other Deposit States

DRS programs provide well-documented environmental and economic benefits and, Collins said, are increasingly crucial to ensure a greater supply of clean, domestic, high-quality material to meet recycled content laws and plastics reduction commitments from major brands.

But they require upkeep. 鈥淚f you buy a car and fail to maintain it over the years, it will eventually start to break down. The same goes for DRS programs,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淢any of the U.S. state programs took effect in the 1970s and 1980s. With a few exceptions, they have not been maintained and improved enough since then to continue working as effectively as they should.鈥�

She said the three main areas needed for DRS modernizations are higher container deposit amounts, additional convenient options for bottle and can returns, and coverage of more beverage types.

Increasing Deposits to a Dime

According to Collins, increasing the container deposit amount from 5垄 to 10垄 is extremely important for improving redemption rates. Of the 10 U.S. deposit states with DRS programs, just three 鈥� Connecticut, Michigan and Oregon 鈥� provide a dime deposit on all covered containers.

In 2021, CRI projected that the jump in Connecticut鈥檚 DRS deposit-refund value from 5垄 to 10垄, along with other DRS program improvements, would result in a large increase in its redemption rate based on evidence from other states and countries. This proved true, as the Connecticut redemption rate rose by 21 percentage points in one year (CY 2023 to CY 2024).

Collins noted that large redemption rate increases in Oregon after it made several DRS program improvements, including upping the deposit amount from a nickel to a dime, also demonstrated the value of a higher deposit. When the 10垄 deposit took effect in 2017, the redemption rate climbed from 64% in 2016 to 86% in 2019. Since then, the rate has not dropped below 80% except for one year during the COVID pandemic. The international DRS redemption rate average tops 80%, and no other U.S. state meets that threshold.

鈥淎 nickel in 2025 is worth about a penny compared to the mid-1970s,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淚t is no longer enough of a financial incentive for consumers to continue returning empty bottles and cans. Other DRS states need to approve legislation that increases the deposit amount.鈥�

Enhancing Consumer Convenience

To be successful, DRS programs also require convenient bottle and can return options, such as return-to-retail (with and without RVMs), redemption centers and bag drops. Collins said that the 鈥渂uilding block鈥� approach in Connecticut鈥檚 DRS modernization law 鈥� with the establishment of more robust container return infrastructure before implementation of other upgrades 鈥� can serve as a model for other states.

鈥淭he initial provisions implemented under the law resulted in the availability of 15 new redemption centers and the addition of RVMs to 300 stores,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his ensured greater capacity and increased consumer convenience before the state added more beverage types to its DRS program and raised the deposit amount from a nickel to a dime.鈥�

Some other deposit states are taking steps to improve container return infrastructure. In California, approximately half of the state鈥檚 redemption centers closed from 2013 to 2022, which Collins said mainly stemmed from inadequate processing payments based on an outdated calculation formula. Processing payments are an important source of revenue for redemption centers, and a calculation adjustment 鈥� which CRI had advocated for over many years 鈥� finally received approval as part of a bill signed into law in 2023, and took effect in 2024.

According to new information from California鈥檚 Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), processing payments increased $83 million from 2023 to 2024 (due to both the formula change and the addition of deposits on additional beverage types). Also, handling fees paid to redemption centers rose $8 million from 2023 to 2024. The state added 52 redemption centers during this time.

Collins said, 鈥淎lthough the total processing payments in 2024 only averaged seven-tenths of a cent per container recycled, the continued use of the new processing payment calculation formula represents a step toward contributing to the financial stability of redemption centers and helping prevent further closures.鈥�

Covering More Beverage Types

DRS programs lose effectiveness when they do not cover a full range of beverage types, especially bottled water, now the most widely sold beverage in the U.S. According to CRI data, plastic bottled water sales increased nearly 28-fold from 1997 to 2023. Massachusetts and Michigan are two of the four DRS states that still do not include bottled water in their programs, and rank last and third-to-last, respectively, among deposit states for percentage of beverage units sold covered by deposits. Both states鈥� redemption rates have dropped by nearly 25 percentage points in the last decade.

On a positive note, an increase in DRS beverage coverage occurred in California in 2024, when the addition of deposits on wine and spirits, and on 100% fruit and vegetable juices in larger sizes than previously included, took effect. According to the CalRecycle, there were 1.5 billion more deposit beverage containers collected for recycling in 2024 compared to 2023.

Collins said, 鈥淐overage of previously exempt beverage types in DRS programs leads to an increase in bottle and can returns. It鈥檚 a change that still needs to happen in several deposit states.鈥� She added it is important to remember that while enhanced and new beverage container DRS programs are needed, the rate of the weakest U.S. program (Massachusetts, with a 2024 redemption rate of 35%) is still 9 percentage points higher than the U.S. nominal recycling rate of 26% for containers not on deposit. No other deposit state with CY 2024 data available has a redemption rate below 60%.

Building Legislative Momentum

Collins said that in the first half of 2025, DRS legislation was introduced in six states, while eight current deposit states saw program expansion/modernization legislative activity. She added that this is a higher number than in several previous years. 鈥淚mportantly, some of this legislation progressed further than in the past,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n Texas, for example, a bill with bipartisan support reached the House floor calendar 鈥� a first for any container deposit legislation in the state 鈥� but time ran out before a full vote.鈥�

Collins concluded, 鈥淏ased on decades of data, we know that DRS programs are the 鈥榞old standard鈥� for increasing beverage container recycling rates. CRI will continue our original research, objective analysis and responsible advocacy to support the passage of legislation that establishes successful DRS programs and provides effective upgrades to current ones 鈥� a vital way to benefit industry, consumers and the environment.鈥�

For more information, visit .

Chart with 2024 redemption rates for U.S. deposit states is below:

For a chart with additional information on deposit states鈥� DRS programs, visit , click on 鈥淓xisting Programs,鈥� 鈥淯SA鈥� and then 鈥淐ompare all states.鈥�