Recent survey shows Bottle Bill changes are making recycling harder for Iowans
HIAWATHA, Iowa (KCRG) — A new survey from the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter suggests Iowans are having a harder time redeeming their cans and bottles since changes were made to the state’s bottle bill in 2022.
Iowa’s bottle deposit program — in place since the late 1970s — gives people five cents back for every eligible container they return. But many recyclers say that’s getting more difficult as stores increasingly opt out of accepting returns.
Sharon Lutgens, who regularly visits a redemption center in Hiawatha, said it used to be far easier to return her containers at local grocery stores.
“A lot of those places don’t have the cans to be turned in anymore,” Lutgens said. “So I figured we have to support this place and keep it going.”
The Sierra Club’s survey found 62% of respondents said the closest redemption center to them has closed. Under the 2022 law, many retailers can now decline to accept cans if another redemption option exists within certain distances, depending on the size of the community.
Jessica Mazour with the Sierra Club said that change is making the long-standing program harder to use.
“One of the things we did not agree with was something that made it harder for people to utilize the program and allow different businesses to opt out,” she said.
For some Iowans, that five cents is still meaningful. Ray Buck, a frequent recycler in Cedar Rapids, said tossing bottles in the trash isn’t an option for him.
“I’m too cheap to throw a nickel away,” Buck said. “And we’ve got enough trash.”
He acknowledges that others rely on the money even more.
“For some of the people that need the five cents, it’s not that easy,” Buck added.
Mazour said the survey shows shrinking access could undermine key benefits of the program — from jobs, to cleaner ditches, to higher recycling rates.
“We should be improving it, not weakening it,” she said.
Both the Sierra Club and frequent recyclers hope lawmakers revisit the issue before the impact becomes harder to ignore along Iowa roadways.
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