Change in Bottle Bill Law Introduced in Iowa

Democratic State Representative Don Shoultz recently introduced a bill into the Iowa State legislature that aims to adjust the pricing mechanism for the state’s bottle bill.

The bill, HB 166, relates to the acceptance of empty beverage containers by retail establishments, the money paid to people returning the containers, and a property tax exemption for glass recyclers.

The bill increases the reimbursement amount received by a dealer or person operating a redemption center who redeems empty beverage containers from $.01 per container to $.02 per container. 

The bill also would eliminate the ability of a dealer of beverages to refuse to accept any empty beverage container if the place of business of the dealer and the kind and brand of empty beverage containers are included in an order of the department of natural resources approving a redemption center.

Currently, pollution control or recycling property is exempt from taxation.  "Recycling property" is personal property or improvements to real property or any portion of the property, used primarily in the manufacturing process and resulting directly in the conversion of waste plastic, wastepaper products, waste paperboard, or waste wood products into new raw materials or products composed primarily of recycled material. 

The bill adds waste glass to the list of materials that are converted into new raw materials or products composed primarily of recycled material.