Sierra Club calls for legislative review of 2022 changes to bottle bill

Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is calling on a legislative committee to conduct a review of the impacts that a 2022 law, which allowed some stores to opt out of providing redemption services, has had on the state’s can and bottle redemption program.

Before the enactment of Senate File 2378, all stores that sold alcoholic or carbonated beverages, and collected the 5-cent deposit, had to accept the empty containers and redeem the deposit.

Sierra Club, in a news release, said the law has made it “harder for Iowans to participate in the program.”

A 2024 Sierra Club survey found 62 percent of respondents reported a redemption center or collection site had closed in their area, and 21 percent of respondents said they travel in excess of 10 miles to redeem their cans and bottles.

Overall, 60 percent of Iowans surveyed said they find it harder to redeem cans and bottles since the change.

The law allows stores that sell and charge the 5-cent beverage container deposit to opt out of redeeming the containers if they are in counties with a population of 30,000 people or more and are within 10 miles of another redemption center; are in a county of fewer than 30,000 people and within 15 miles of a redemption center; have an agreement for an approved mobile redemption center on site; or hold food establishment licenses.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a list of redemption sites on its website and early this year, the Iowa Beverage Association launched an interactive map to help Iowans find their closest redemption location.

While many Iowans in the Sierra Club survey reported difficulties complying with the program, 94 percent responded they think the state should continue the program, which was enacted in 1979 and helps bottling materials go through proper recycling channels.

According to a state report from 2022, about 49 percent of beverage containers are recovered, though this statistic reflects containers returned to a redemption site and those picked up via curbside recycling.

In its 2024 survey, Sierra Club called for greater enforcement of the redemption laws and to increase the number of redemption sites in the state. The club also called for an increase in the redemption amount from 5 cents to 10 cents per container and to include juice, water bottles, iced tea and sports drinks in the program.

The environmental club then also called for a “thorough review” from the Legislative Fiscal Review Committee, “immediately following the 2025 legislative session.”

According to the committee’s online schedule, it has not met since 2019. Senate Democrats’ staff confirmed in an email the committee has not met on the bottle redemption topic and no meeting is set currently.

Chairs of the committee, Rep. Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf, and Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.

The 2022 law stipulated the committee hold a meeting during the legislative interim “immediately preceding the 2026 regular legislative session” to review the provisions of the law. The law instructs the committee to submit a report to the General Assembly no later than Jan. 31, 2026. The 2026 legislative session is set to begin Jan. 12.

Jess Mazour with Sierra Club Iowa Chapter said in the news release the group wants to “expand” the redemption program and “make it more accessible” for Iowans.

“We hope the Legislative Fiscal Review Committee will hold their meeting soon so we can get to work improving the popular and important program,” Mazour said in the news release. “It’s time to schedule the meeting now so they can do a thorough review and not violate Iowa law.”

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.