The right to return your empties for
refund to any dealer who sells the
same brand, type and size, whether
you bought the beverage from the
dealer or not. It is illegal to return
containers for refund that you did not
pay a deposit on in New York State.
The right to get your deposit refund in
cash, without proof of purchase.
The right to return your empties any
day, any hour, except for the first and
last hour of the dealer’s business day.
Empty containers may be redeemed at
any time in 24-hour stores.
The right to return your containers if
they are empty and intact. Washing
containers is not required by law, but
is strongly recommended to maintain
sanitary conditions.
To report a violation, call 877-846-8802
Bottle Bill
of Rights
You have certain rights under the
New York State Returnable Container Act:
Updated 1/24
New York
State’s
Bottle Bill
BIG
RETURNS
for a
SMALL
DEPOSIT
Dear Friend,
Good news for the environment–
the New York State Returnable
Container Act (RCA, a.k.a. the “Bottle
Bill”) continues to help us create a
cleaner, healthier New York. The
Bottle Bill greatly reduces roadside
container litter and helps recycle
billions of beverage containers each
year at no cost to local governments.
I’d be glad to hear your comments or
suggestions on how we might further
improve the law in the future.
Sincerely,
Carl E. Heastie
Speaker of the Assembly
250 Broadway, Suite 2301
New York, NY 10007
212-312-1400
Room 932, LOB
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-3791
speaker@nyassembly.gov
The law:
Requires stores to post a “New York Bottle Bill of
Rights” sign at the point of sale
Allows a dealer that is open less than 24 hours to
restrict or refuse the payment of deposit refunds
during the first and last hours of operation
Enforcement includes the Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC), the
Department of Agriculture and Markets, the
Department of Taxation and Finance, the state
Attorney General and local governments
A retailer operating 10 or more stores in New
York State engaged in the same general field of
business under common ownership must install
and maintain, unless alternative technology has
been approved by DEC, a certain number of
reverse vending machines (RVMs) based on the
store’s square footage:
• More than 40,000 square feet and less than
60,000 square feet must install at least two
RVMs
• 60,000 square feet or more and less than
85,000 square feet must install at least three
RVMs
• 85,000 square feet or more must install at
least four RVMs
• Does not apply to stores selling only individual,
refrigerated containers of 20 ounces or less
The consumer:
Pays a 5-cent deposit when
purchasing beverages
such as beer, soda and
wine coolers and gets that
deposit back when returning
the containers.
Can return empty containers – glass, metal
or plastic – to any store or vendor that sells
the same size, type and brand of container. If
a store does not carry a particular size or type
of container, then the store is not required to
redeem that container.
It’s helpful to rinse containers before returning them
for a deposit refund.
Labeling
Beverage manufacturers must place the necessary
deposit information on all of their containers. The
information must be permanently embossed or
painted on the containers or printed as part of the
product label on the container. It must appear on
the top of cans and on the side of bottles. The
names of other states with similar deposit legislation
may also be included on the refund label.
Refusal of acceptance of a beverage container
Dealers may refuse to accept the following:
• any container that does not properly indicate a
refund value
• broken bottles or crushed containers
• corroded or dismembered cans
• beverage containers that contain a significant
amount of foreign material, such as paper,
sticks or cigarette butts. Small amounts of
dust, dirt or moisture are allowed. Although
helpful, containers don’t have to be rinsed.
A dealer must not knowingly redeem an empty
beverage container on which a deposit was never
paid in New York State.
To learn more about the Bottle Bill,
contact the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation, Bureau of
Waste Reduction & Recycling
online: dec.ny.gov/chemical/8500.html
by email: nybottle@dec.ny.gov
✓
Carbonated soft drinks, including sparkling
water, carbonated energy drinks,
carbonated tea and carbonated juice, which
is anything less than 100 percent juice that
contains added sugar or water
✓
Soda water
✓
Beer and other malt beverages
✓
Mineral water, both carbonated
and non-carbonated
✓
Wine coolers
✓
Water, including flavored or nutritionally
enhanced water that does not contain sugar
✗
Milk products
✗
Wine, liquors and
hard ciders
✗
Non-carbonated
tea and juice
✗
Waters
containing
sugar
✗
Non-carbonated
sports and energy
drinks
✗
Drink boxes or
pouches
New York State’s Returnable Container Act
What beverages are covered by
New York’s Bottle Bill?
NOT covered by NY’s Bottle Bill:
