Bottle Deposits

A group is reviving efforts to expand Michigan's 10-cent deposit law to include bottled water and juice containers. The Michigan United Conservation Clubs says within a few years, sales of non-carbonated drinks will exceed soft drink sales. Michigan's bottle deposit law, passed by voters in 1976, imposes a dime deposit on soft drink, beer, malt beverage and wine cooler containers. People return 97 percent of containers for which they pay a deposit. But they recycle only 20 percent of bottled water containers because no deposit is required.