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The Bottle Bill

Re: Designating a Redemption Center as an Approved Redemption Center

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has received several inquiries in the last week regarding the operating designation of redemption centers across Iowa. In addition, the DNR has received several questions regarding how does a dealer (grocery store) designate 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, 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.  You can also contact the IGIA office at 515-270-2628. Thank you.

REDEMPTION CENTER CATEGORY  DETERMINATION

Please note you may be in more than one category.

Approved Redemption Center

Approved redemption centers are redemption centers that have been approved by the department to relieve a retailer of the responsibility of taking back containers. The retailer instead directs consumers to return the containers to the redemption center. The redemption center must be open to the public a minimum of 20 hours per week, 4 of which must be on Saturday or Sunday or weekdays after 6:00 PM. The department will approve the application if it determines that the redemption center will provide a convenient service to the retailers’ customers. Distributors would be required to pickup containers from the redemption center as often as product is delivered to the retailer, but not more than once a week unless otherwise agreed by the distributor and redemption center. Payment is to be issued within one week of pickup.

  • Do you currently have an approval on file with the department?

If so please update the information

  • Do you have or wish to have an agreement with a retailer to accept the same size type and brands sold by the retailer. The retailer will not be required to accept containers at the store but to direct customers to your redemption center.

Please note the retailer must continue accepting containers until approval is granted by the department.

Dealer agents and redemption centers for a dealer

Redemption centers for a dealer are redemption centers that have a written agreement with a dealer to provide handling or sorting services. Two common examples are a redemption center that picks containers up from a retailer, or a redemption center that accepts containers from a retailer at the redemption center. Distributors are required to pick up containers as often as product is delivered to the retailers that the redemption center has an agreement with, but not more than once per week unless otherwise agreed. Payment is to be issued within one week of pickup.

Dealer Agent is a person who solicits or picks up empty beverage containers from a retailer but is not open to the general public. Distributors are not required to pick up containers from dealer agents; the dealer agent must bring the containers to the distributor unless otherwise agreed. Payment is to be issued within one week of delivery of containers.

  • 1) Are you open to the public?
  • 2) Do you have an agreement with a retailer to pickup containers refunded by the public at the retailers store?
  • 3) Do you provide sorting and handling services for retailers that bring containers to your redemption center?

    • If you answered yes to 1 and yes to either 2 or 3 you are a redemption center for a dealer.

    If you answered no to 1 and yes to 2 or 3 you are a dealer agent.

    Unapproved

    Unapproved redemption centers are any redemption center that does not fall into one of the above categories. The are required to notify the department of their existence. Distributors are not required to pickup containers from them. Rather the redemption center will deliver the containers to the distributor. Payment will be issued within one week of delivery.

APPROVED REDEMPTION CENTER REGISTRATION

CHECKLIST

Prior to submitting a registration form to become an approved redemption center, please review this checklist to determine if all the required information is included with your registration request.

  • Name, address and telephone number of the redemption center;
  • Name, address and telephone number of the person or persons responsible for the establishment and operation of the redemption center;
  • Indication that the redemption center will accept all kinds, sizes, and brand names of beverage containers sold by the dealers served by the redemption center;
  • Names and addresses of the dealers wanting to enter into agreement to be relieved of responsibility for accepting deposit containers and wanting to send all of their customers to your redemption center to redeem deposit containers
  • Written consent of the above dealers to be served by the redemption center;
  • Distance, in blocks or other appropriate measure, from the redemption center to each dealer to be served by the redemption center;
  • Names and addresses of the distributors whose beverage containers will be redeemed;
  • Hours during which the redemption center is to be open including which specific day of the week those hours apply to (e.g. Monday – Closed, Tue-Fri 10:00-5:00, Saturday 8:00-12:00, Sunday – Closed);
  • Whether metal, glass or plastic beverage containers will be crushed or broken and, if so, the written consent of the distributor or manufacturer to the crushing or breaking;
  • Reasons why the redemption center and the dealers to be served by it believe that the redemption center will provide a convenient service to consumers.
  • An approved redemption center shall be in operation and open to the public at least 20 hours per week, 4 hours of which shall be between the hours of 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. or on Saturday or Sunday, or a combination thereof.

Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form

Bottle Bill

Iowa's Beverage Containers Control Law, also known as the "Bottle Bill,"  helps reduce and clean up litter by recovering beverage containers for recycling.

Iowa's bottle bill covers all carbonated and alcoholic beverages. Consumers pay a five-cent deposit when purchasing a beverage container and receive a five-cent refund when returning the container to a store or redemption center.

Resources and Information


Publications and Reports
Posters for retailers and redemption centers are in PDF format:

 
 
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