Printer-friendlyNew York's Bottle Bill
Returnable Container Act (RCA)
The New York State Returnable Container Act, also known as the "Bottle Bill", has been a tremendous success. Over the last 25 years it has achieved 
significant impacts to create a cleaner and healthier New York. The Bottle Bill has:
- reduced roadside litter by 70%;
- recycled 90 billion containers, equal to 6 million tons of materials, at no cost to local governments;
- saved more than 52 million barrels of oil; and
- eliminated 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses each year.
However, changes in the beverage market over the last three decades have limited the success of the Bottle Bill. When the Bottle Bill was passed in 1982 non-carbonated drinks like iced teas, sport drinks and bottled water made up on a small fraction of the beverage market. Today, these drinks make up more than 25% of the market. If the Bottle Bill is expanded to include non-carbonated drinks, it can:
- Recycle an additional 90,000 tons of materials every year at no cost to local governments;
- Save another 1 million barrels of oil annually; and
- Eliminate 80,000 tons per year of greenhouse gasses.
Every year, millions of nickel deposits that are not redeemed by consumers are kept by beverage distributors. An expanded bottle bill can also ensure that every nickel that is not redeemed is returned to the state and invested in environmental programs such as recycling improvements, parks and open spaces, pollution prevention and water quality.
More about New York's Bottle Bill:
- How Does it Work? - How the New York State Returnable Container Act works.
- Get Your Money Back - Information on the RCA and getting your deposit back.
