§ 1527. Redemption of liquor bottles
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, redemption of beverage containers of volume greater than 50 ml that contain liquor shall be subject to the following requirements:
(1) Deposit. Beverage containers subject to this section shall have a deposit of 15 cents on each container sold at the retail level and returned to the consumer upon return of the empty beverage container.
(2) Handling fee. Distributors of beverage containers subject to this section shall pay a point of redemption that redeems a beverage container four and one-half cents per container.
(3) Redemption. A retailer shall not refuse to accept beverage containers subject to this section or refuse to pay a person the refund value established by subdivision (1) of this section for any container unless the container is not clean, broken, or has an exemption issued by the Secretary. The Department of Liquor and Lottery shall not refuse to pick up empty beverage containers subject to this section, pay the refund value, or pay the handling fee to a retailer or redemption center subject to this section.
(4) Coordination with producer responsibility organization. The Department of Liquor and Lottery may coordinate with and compensate the producer responsibility organization to collect beverages containers subject to this section at points of redemption that are a part of the collection plan developed by the producer responsibility organization. Containers collected at these points of redemption shall not be subject to the handling fee established by subdivision (2) of this section.
(5) Performance goals and reporting. The Department of Liquor and Lottery shall be subject to the redemption rate goals established in section 1534 of this title for beverage containers containing liquor. Beginning on January 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Liquor and Lottery shall report to the Secretary of Natural Resources:
(A) the amount and tonnage of liquor bottles that the Department of Liquor and Lottery collected in the previous calendar year; and
(B) the redemption rate for liquor bottles in the previous calendar year. (Added 1975, No. 105, § 8; amended 2023, No. 79, § 11, eff. July 1, 2023; 2025, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.)