Michigan house approves bill funding upgrades to local recycling equipment

As reported by the Associated Press, the Michigan House of Representatives has approved a bill that would compensate beverage companies for updating their recycling equipment using unreturned deposit funds.

The proposed legislation would offer beverage distributors a half-cent per bottle tax credit for every container eligible for the bottle return. The bill would cost the state $20 million annually, according to the House Fiscal Agency, the Associated Press reports.

The legislation also would allow distributors to receive funds from the unredeemed bottle returns if the annual value is greater than $50 million through 2022. Unredeemed money from the 10-cent per container bottle return is divided between the state and retailers operating bottle return locations. The state’s Cleanup and Redevelopment Trust Fund, which mainly funds cleanup efforts for certain contaminated sites, gets 75 percent of the money, and 25 percent is given to the retailers, according to the article.

Michigan is one of 10 states with deposits on recyclable cans and bottles.

The legislation still has to go before the Senate. If passed there, it appears doubtful Gov. Whitmer will sign it as her administration opposes the legislation because it takes funds away from redevelopment in the state, according to the Associated Press report.