Maryland Bottle Bill: Tackling Plastic Waste and Rewarding Responsibility.
The Maryland Bottle Bill is a proposed law designed to reduce plastic waste, protect our environment, and promote recycling through a 10-cent refundable deposit on beverage containers, including plastic water bottles. When you return your empty bottle, you get your money back.
This program empowers Marylanders to take part in building a circular economy - where bottles don’t become trash, but rather, they become resources.
Plastic Bottle Pollution in Maryland
Every year in Maryland, over 5.5 billion beverage containers are sold, yet only one in four is recycled. That means more than 4 billion bottles and cans - including a staggering 2.6 billion plastic ones - are tossed away, piling up in landfills, spewing toxins when burned, or washing into our rivers and streams where they choke wildlife and contaminate our drinking water.
A bottle redemption program would add a 10-cent refundable deposit to beverage containers, which would be returned when containers are recycled at retailers or redemption centers. These deposit-return systems have proven highly effective at reducing litter and increasing recycling rates in ten U.S. states, as well as in countries like Australia, Canada, and many in the EU. The proposed Maryland program would be funded by beverage producers, not taxpayers.
The Solution: A Bottle Return Program That Works
Dramatically Increases Recycling Rates
- States with bottle bills recycle 2 to 3 times more beverage containers than those without.
- A national deposit program could raise PET bottle recycling from ~24% to over 80%.
Reduces Litter and Pollution
- Deposit-return systems significantly reduce litter in parks, streets, and waterways.
- Containers are less likely to end up as pollution, especially harmful plastics.
Encourages Producer Responsibility
- Beverage companies fund the system, not taxpayers, aligning incentives for waste reduction and recycling infrastructure.
Saves Municipalities Money
- Reduces costs for trash collection, litter cleanup, and landfill tipping fees.
- Lightens the burden on local recycling programs.
Promotes Environmental Justice
- Reduces the volume of waste incinerated in overburdened communities
- Offers income opportunities for people who collect and redeem bottles.
Be Part of the Change with Clean Water Action!
We all use water bottles. Now, we can all be part of the solution. Support the Maryland Bottle Bill and help create a cleaner, more sustainable Maryland for future generations.