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The high level of participation by Iowa's businesses and Iowa consumers is the key to the program's success. An estimated 86 percent of beverage containers, or 1.65 billion, are redeemed annually in Iowa.
Determining Your Redemption Center Category
Because you may be in more than one category, be sure to complete all sections that apply. All applicants complete at least Section 1.
Do you have, or will you have, an agreement with at least one dealer to be an approved redemption center, so as to then be designated to accept the same size, type and brands sold by the dealer(s)?
If so, complete Section 2 of the Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form, which includes attaching the written agreement(s) with authorized signature(s). Please note the dealer(s) must continue accepting containers until the DNR grants approval.
Are you open to the public?
Do you have an agreement with a dealer to pickup containers that were redeemed by the public at the dealer’s store?
Do you provide sorting and handling services for dealers that bring empty containers to your redemption center?
If you answered ‘yes’to (1)and then ‘yes’ to either (2) or (3), you are a redemption center for a dealer. Complete Section 3 of the Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form.
If you answered ‘no’ to (1) and then ‘yes’ to either (2) or (3), you are a dealer agent. Complete only Section 1 of the Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form.
Beverage Container Redemption Centers (Registering for Business)
The following should help you complete the Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form. If you have any questions for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, please contact Bill Blum at 515/281-8176 or bill.blum@dnr.iowa.gov.
A key term to know up-front is “Dealer.” As used in the Container Control Law, “Dealer” describes ALL retailers of beverage containers such as grocery stores, convenience stores, bars and restaurants. The official definition of “’Dealer’” means any person who engages in the sale of beverages in beverage containers to a consumer.
Approved Redemption Centers
An approved redemption center is one to which the DNR has issued a formal approval for the redemption center to relieve a dealer of the responsibility of redeeming consumers’ empty containers. The dealer is authorized to instead direct its customers to return their empty containers to the ‘Approved’ redemption center.
To be approved, the redemption center must be open to the public a minimum of 20 hours per week, of which four hours must be on Saturday or Sunday or between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The DNR will issue its approval if it is determined that the redemption center will provide a convenient service to a dealer’s customers. “Convenient service” means, in part, that the redemption center is generally not more than about one mile or so from the dealer.
Distributors are required to pick up containers from approved redemption centers at least weekly, or when a distributor delivers product to the dealer for which the redemption center is approved, if product deliveries are less than weekly, unless otherwise agreed upon. Payment is to be issued within one week of pickup.
Redemption Centers for a Dealer … and Dealer Agents
A redemption center for a dealer is one that has a signed written agreement with at least one dealer to provide them container handling or sorting services. Two common examples are (1) a redemption center that picks up empty containers from a dealer, or (2) a redemption center that accepts empty containers that are delivered from a dealer to the redemption center.
Distributors are required to pick up containers from these redemption centers at least weekly, or when a distributor delivers product to the dealer for which the redemption center is certified if product deliveries are less than weekly, unless otherwise agreed upon. Payment is to be issued within one week of pickup.
A dealer agent is anyone who solicits or picks up empty beverage containers from a dealer, but that is not open to the general public. Distributors are not required to pick up containers from dealer agents. Dealer agents must bring empty containers to the distributors unless otherwise agreed upon. Payment is to be issued within one week of delivery of containers.
Unapproved Redemption Centers
An unapproved redemption center is any redemption center that does not fall into one of the above categories. They are nonetheless required to be registered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Distributors are not required to pickup containers from them. Rather these redemption centers deliver their redeemed containers to those distributors that have the redemption centers within their geographic sales areas. Payment will be issued within one week of delivery.
If you do not fall into one or more of the above categories you are an unapproved redemption center. Complete only Section 1 of the Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form.
Approved Redemption Center Registration Checklist
Prior to submitting a Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form to become an approved redemption center, please review this checklist to determine if all the required information is included with your registration request.
Designating a Redemption Center as an Approved Redemption Center
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has received several inquiries regarding the operating designation of redemption centers across Iowa. In addition, the DNR has received several questions regarding how a dealer (grocery store) designates a redemption center as the approved center for that grocery store so the store no longer has to accept deposit beverage containers. Due to the large number of inquiries received, the DNR is taking this opportunity to provide clarification on these issues.
The current operating designation of a redemption center, whether it is operating as a redemption center for a dealer, an unapproved redemption center or an approved redemption center for another grocer does not matter. For a grocery store to no longer accept containers the department must approve the individual agreement between the store and the redemption center to confirm that consumers will still have convenient access to container redemption services. The approved redemption center process is described in Iowa Administrative Code chapter 107.4(1). Here is the process for a grocery store to request approval of an agreement with a redemption center so the grocery store no longer has to accept deposit beverage containers.
1. The grocery store sends in writing a request to a local redemption center asking that the redemption center become an approved center for the store so that the store no longer has to accept beverage containers. A store may request to have more than one approved center.
2. The redemption center sends to the Department of Natural Resources a copy of the grocery stores request from step 1 above plus the information described in the attached Approved Redemption Center Registration Checklist.
3. Once the department determines that all of the necessary information has been submitted and has determined the agreement will provide convenient access for consumers to redeem deposit containers, the department will issue a certificate for posting to both the redemption center and the grocery store.
If you have any questions regarding designating a redemption center, please call Jeff Geerts at 515-281-8176 or e-mail at jeff.geerts@dnr.state.ia.us or call Theresa Stiner at 515-281-8646 or e-mail Theresa at theresa.stiner@dnr.state.ia.us.
For more information on Iowa’s Bottle Bill and Deposit Law, please visit www.iowadnr.gov. Questions can be directed to the Iowa Grocery Industry Association office by calling 515-270-2628, or contact Bill Blum in the Iowa DNR office at 515-281-8176 or bill.blum@dnr.iowa.gov.
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