BRAND BUZZ W RITTE N B Y D AV I D S CH U E MAN N
BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT LAWS
COMING TO A LABEL NEAR YOU! M
any states have enacted or are in the process of enacting beverage container deposit laws and that will have ramifications on your packaging. Meant as a step in litter reduction and recycling, these laws set up a deposit return and refund system for beverage containers of various sizes and materials. And while several states already have these programs in place for non-alcoholic beverages, they are expanding them to include alcoholic beverages, which means big changes to your labels. Keeping abreast of these policy changes will be imperative in order to keep your packaging compliant and avoid disruptions in your supply chain, channels of sale, or costly relabeling exercises. Here’s a quick overview of how these laws will affect your packaging. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures,1 there are currently 10 states and one U.S. territory that have beverage container deposit laws. 1) California
7) Michigan
2) Connecticut
8) New York
3) Hawaii
9) Oregon
4) Iowa
10) Vermont
5) Maine
11) Guam
6) Massachusetts 1 https://www.ncsl.org/environment-and-natural-resources/state-beverage-container-deposit-laws
W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M
HOW DO BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT LAWS WORK? ▶ Retailers are charged a deposit for each bottle purchased from the
distributor and, in turn, customers are charged a deposit for each bottle purchased from the retailer.
▶ If the customer returns the bottles to their retailer or a redemption
center, they receive a refund and, in turn, the retailer receives a refund if they return the bottles to their distributor.
▶ Deposit amounts vary by state and volume of container.
WHAT STATES ARE LOOKING TO PASS A BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT LAW? New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington are new states examining this type of legislation. California now includes spirits in their program and other states are looking to add spirits to their existing programs.
HOW DO BEVERAGE CONTAINER DEPOSIT LAWS AFFECT MY PACKAGING? If you are selling your spirits brand in any of these states, you will need to ensure that your packaging includes the approved redemption value stamp for every state you sell to that has a bottle return program.
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