Vermont | Beverage Container Law
Vermont introduced their Beverage Container Law in April of 1972, a year after Oregon introduced the nation's first bottle bill. Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation explains that the state's bottle bill started off as a mechanism to reduce terrestrial and aquatic litter and evolved into a full recycling program for beverage containers. See the full evolution of Vermont’s bill here.
What's Included?
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont’s bottle bill covers and exempts the following:
Beverages Covered: beer, wine coolers, malt beverages, pre-mixed cocktails, carbonated non-alcoholic beverages (soda, juices, sparkling waters, energy drinks, etc.), and liquor and spirits that are purchased in Vermont.
Containers Covered: bottles, cans, and jars and cartons made of glass, paper, plastic, and metal.
Exemptions: wine and hard cider, water, milk, juice, sports and energy drinks and other non-carbonated alcoholic beverages, and beverages that are purchased outside of Vermont.
What’s the Refund Value?
Vermont’s refund value is split based on the type of beverage, including a five cents USD deposit for beer, malt beverages, and pre-mixed cocktails, and carbonated non-alcoholic beverages and a fifteen cents USD deposit for liquors and spirits.
Impact of DRS in Vermont
Vermont’s performance recycling PET, aluminum, and glass is average when compared to other states with bottle bills, but has impressive stats when compared to the national average for these materials.
Vermont's PET recycling rate for 2018 of 44% is 24.96% higher than the national average (19.04%).
Vermont's aluminum recycling rate for 2018 of 59% is 27.72% higher than the national average (31.28%).
Vermont’s glass recycling rate for 2018 of 57% is 31.14% higher than the national average (25.86%).
*data from 50 States of Recycling 2.0 by Ball Corporation & Eunomia
Stay up to date with updates and news about Vermont’s bottle bill here.
Read about the bottle bills in the nine other US states here.
