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Government

Iowa Bottle Recovery Decrease

Tori Charnetzki
/
WVIK News

It might be time to recycle the bottles that have been collecting in your garage. A new state study shows a 15 percent decline in Iowa Bottle recovery in the last 10 years. 

Of all the aluminum, plastic, and glass bottles used in Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources estimates 71 percent have been returned for refunds. Alex Moon, Iowa Land Quality Bureau Chief, says the lack of redemption centers is one possible explanation for the drop. Along with the decreasing value of a nickle.

"It's not enough to drive people to take their containers back. Instead they might be just recycling them at the curb or throwing them away."

Lawmakers haven't changed The Iowa Bottle Bill much since it passed 40 years ago. During that time,  the number of redemption centers has dropped from 300 to about a hundred. 
 

Government