Bottle and can returns are down in Michigan, and some lawmakers say it’s because of the stores.
Legislation is being discussed that would outlaw store restrictions on returning bottles and cans.
State Representative Tyrone Carter of Detroit says some stores took advantage of the pandemic to limit returns.
“This is a real concern in the Detroit area, in my district, where stores will sell you product, but they will not take them back,” Carter said. “They have a variety of reasons. It started with COVID, but now we’ve ballooned to a ridiculous amount.”
In 2019, Michigan’s recycling rate for bottles and cans was 89%. That dropped to 75% by 2022.
