Bottle Deposit Law

Iowa's Beverage Containers Control Law, also known as the "Bottle Bill," helps reduce and clean up litter by recovering beverage containers for recycling.

Iowa's bottle bill deposit law covers all carbonated and alcoholic beverages. Consumers pay a five-cent deposit when purchasing a beverage container and receive a five-cent refund when returning the container to a store or redemption center.

The high level of participation by Iowa's businesses and Iowa consumers is the key to the program's success. An estimated 71% of beverage containers are redeemed annually in Iowa.

• Code of Iowa Chapter 455C - Beverage Containers Control
• IAC Chapter 567-107 Beverage Container Deposits
• Summary of How the System is Set up
• Bottle Bill FAQ

The basic way the deposit/refund system works is for people to take their empty containers back to the stores where those products are sold. The only way a store can lawfully be exempt from redeeming cans and bottles is if it has an Iowa DNR “approved” redemption center. The store must have posted a certificate issued by the Iowa DNR that identifies the “approved” redemption center, its location and the hours it is open.

• Redemption Center Registration and Approval Form (542-1215)
• Registration and Approval Form Instructions

NOTE: The below list of Redemption Centers might have businesses that have closed without notifying the Iowa DNR and it may not have businesses listed that are open but that have not registered with the Iowa DNR.

• List of Redemption Centers (Sorted by County)

• Registration Checklist for "Approved" Redemption Centers
• "Reimbursing Only 4 Cents is Illegal" - Refund Memo to Stores and Redemption Centers
• Application for Beverage Container Law Exemption (542-0142)
• Example - Dealer Consent Form: Approved Redemption Center
• Example - Dealer Consent Form: Redemption Center for a Dealer
• Follow the Nickel Diagram