Iowa bottle bill changes bring slow growth in redemption centers

When William Dunne picked up the phone to talk with a reporter during the grand opening of his business, B&B Redemption Center in Cascade — he spok...

April 22, 2023
7:56 AM

When William Dunne picked up the phone to talk with a reporter during the grand opening of his business, B&B Redemption Center in Cascade — he spoke over the steady plinks of aluminum cans being sorted into bins. "I hate seeing them on the road," Dunne said Monday about the bottles and cans he plans to collect from Eastern Iowa customers. B&B is one of a handful of new redemption centers to open in Iowa since the Iowa Legislature last year updated the 45-year-old "bottle bill." Major changes were increasing the handling fee going to redemption centers from 1 to 3 cents per container — which started in January — and making it easier for grocers and retailers to opt out of accepting empties if other options were nearby.

Erin Jordan