Iowa’s redeeming qualities: Can and bottle redemption

Two years ago, legislators took a big step in making changes to Iowa’s famous bottle bill. The old system had some inefficiencies that needed addressing, which is exactly what legislators set out to remedy.

Among the changes include an increase in the amount paid to redemption centers from 1 cent to 3 cents. This gives existing redemption centers a boost while encouraging more centers to open across the state. It also allows businesses like my company, Droppett, to exist alongside the previous system of grocery stores or redemption centers servicing customers with their nickel deposits. Considering it has been two years since this change, it is prudent to check in and see how the system is working.

I can confidently say that this change is working well. After the overhaul of the previous system, more redemption centers have opened in Iowa. Unlike recent reporting on the subject suggests, there are only 12 counties across our state that do not have a redemption center located within them. Importantly, this figure does not consider every grocery store that should still accept Iowan’s bottles and cans.

The reduction in “redemption deserts,” where there aren’t available recycling centers, is thanks in large part to the legislation that was passed in 2022. Since that year, 12 redemption centers opened across the state; and for 2023, an additional 20. Numbers are still coming in for 2024, but the 32 new redemption centers show the bill’s intended results are happening in Iowa. For Droppett, our box container locations are also growing. Throughout 2023, we added four locations in Southwest Iowa and one already this year, where we’ve seen a 158% increase in redeemed containers from 2022 to today. Further, the total amount of customers has increased by 370%, with the growth happening in rural Iowa where it is needed most.

The changes to the previous redemption system have successfully allowed the free market to take new, innovative approaches to decades-old issues. One such innovation that owes its existence to the reformed bottle bill is tech advancements like app-based services. Our app tracks the redemption proceeds folks have gained through redeemed containers. Individuals can either transfer the deposits added to their Droppett accounts to their checking accounts or give the money to a charity listed on our website. We also use bar code scanning equipment at our facilities which scan the can or bottle as it is processed for redemption. This quickly and efficiently identifies which bottles or cans qualify for redemption and which do not.

The program is doing exactly what our legislators intended it to do: increase and modernize recycling in our state. In the next few years, I hope to continue to expand Droppett while partnering with redemption centers and other entrepreneurially-minded individuals to grow and improve redemption throughout the state. Together we can address any “redemption deserts” that exist for Iowans wanting to redeem their bottles and cans. At the end of the day, success in this program means a cleaner Iowa for all of us.

Doug Webb is president and CEO of CRINC, a redemption company servicing all Iowa’s 99 counties and Droppett!, an innovative can and bottle company based in Iowa.