Michigan’s Famous Bottle Law Is Being Ignored Like Never Before

Are Michigan residents over the state’s “famous” 10-cent bottle deposit law? New data suggests they might be, as the rate of return for bottles and cans has dropped to its lowest point in about 35 years.

“Famous”? Did I really just call a bottle deposit law famous?

Well, in Michigan, it kind of is. We’re one of only eight states that charge a deposit on beverage containers, and one of just two that ask for a dime instead of a nickel. And if that doesn’t qualify as “famous,” let’s not forget the Seinfeld episode. You’ve seen it, right? That alone made our humble bottle law a pop culture icon.

Michigan’s Bottle Return Rate Is Slumping

But apparently, some Michiganders can’t be bothered with returnables. For the third year in a row, the state’s bottle and can return rate has slumped to its lowest point since at least 1990.

Last year, only 70.4 percent of bottles and cans sold in Michigan were returned for a 10-cent refund. WZZM-TV crunched the data and noted that the rate of retun had been declining since 2007, then saw a 15% slump as returns were paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was a slight uptick in returns in 2021 and 2022 before falling again in 2023 and reaching a 35-year low in 2024.

How Much Money Was Left Unclaimed?

How much money is left on the table? In 2024 alone, more than $116 million worth of bottle deposits were not claimed.

Could the Law Expand?

Last year, State Sen. Sean McCann of Kalamazoo introduced Senate Bill 1112, which would move toward expanding the deposit law to include plastic water bottles and non-carbonated beverage containers.

So what’s going on? Hard to say. Maybe people are just busy. Maybe they forgot. Maybe they’ve got a garage full of empties and no ambition. Whatever the reason, that’s more than $116 million in nickels and dimes just... unclaimed.

Sorry, Michigan. Kramer and Newman are shaking their heads in disappointment.

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