New York's Bottle Bill
Returnable Container Act (RCA)
Starting at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, October 31, 2009, all water products sold in New York State must be labeled with a deposit of at least 5-cents. While the State of New York cannot extend the effective date of the 2009 amendments, the State recognizes the unique, practical difficulties dealers/retailers are facing and believes that a limited grace period is needed to allow dealers/retailers time to make the proper adjustments. Therefore, commencing with the lifting of the injunction at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2009, and ending at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009, the State will refrain from commencing enforcement action against a dealer who remains in the process of complying with the new requirements. It is the State's expectation that during this grace period, the dealers will begin charging the deposit on properly labeled water bottles upon reprogramming their cash registers, but they will not be cited for selling both labeled and non-labeled product. Dealers should not charge consumers a deposit if the beverage container is not properly labeled with the New York deposit. While this is not a true extension of the deadline, it is a grace period to allow a smooth transition and to avoid confusing consumers.
IBWA, etal. v. Paterson, et al. Litigation Update
Pursuant to the Court's Order filed on September 14, 2009, the increased handling fee of 3.5 cents must be paid on all containers accepted by distributors and deposit initiators on or after August 13, 2009 - NOT June 1, 2009.
Please check back here for further updates.
E-mail specific questions to NYBOTTLE@gw.dec.state.ny.us
The Success of New York's Bottle Bill
The New York State Returnable Container Act, also known as the "Bottle Bill", has been a tremendous success. Over the last 26 years it has achieved significant impacts to create a cleaner and healthier New York. The Bottle Bill has:
- reduced roadside litter by 70 percent;
- 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 gases each year.
When the Bottle Bill was passed in 1982 non-carbonated drinks like iced teas, sport drinks and bottled water made up a small fraction of the beverage market. Today, non-carbonated water makes up more than 23 percent of the market.
More about New York's Bottle Bill:
- Litigation Updates for the IBWA, et al. v. Paterson, et al. Case - Here are updates on the ongoing case of IBWA, et al. v. Paterson, et al. involving the 2009 amendments to the Returnable Container Act.
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Bottle Bill - Here are some of the more frequently asked questions regarding the Bottle Bill.
- Get Your Money Back - Information on the RCA and getting your deposit back.
- What Does a Dealer Do? - A "dealer" is every person, firm or corporation who engages in the sale of beverages in beverage containers to a consumer for off-premises consumption in New York State.
- Signage Requirements for Dealers - All dealers must post the "New York Bottle Bill of Rights" sign conspicuously at the point of sale.
- Third-Party Systems and Related Companies - A list of third-party systems and related companies for the Bottle Bill
- Water Bottle Fact Sheet - Too Many Bottles-It's a Waste
