Container-deposit legislation (also known as a container-deposit scheme, deposit-refund system or scheme, deposit-return system, or bottle bill) is any law that requires the collection of a monetary deposit on beverage containers (refillable or non-refillable) at the point of sale and/or the payment of refund value to the consumers. When the container is returned to an authorized redemption center, or retailer in some jurisdictions, the deposit is partly or fully refunded to the redeemer (presumed to be the original purchaser). It is a deposit-refund system.
Governments may pass container deposit legislation for several reasons, including to encourage recycling and complement existing curbside recycling programs; to reduce energy and material usage for containers, to reduce beverage container litter along highways, in lakes and rivers, and on other public or private properties (where beverage container litter occurs, a nominal deposit provides an economic incentive to clean it up, which can be a significant source of income to some poor individuals and non-profit civic organizations); and to extend the usable lifetime of taxpayer-funded landfills.
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