Case study of
#00089 Deposit return schemes (bottle bills) on beverage containers
New York State, USA
#00082
SuccessRegion
Implementer
New York State
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2009
Location
New York State, USA43.1562, -75.8450
Description
New York's 1982 container-deposit law was expanded in 2009 ('Bigger Better Bottle Bill') to include bottled water (PET containers). This legislative extension to a new container type provides a replicable model: an existing deposit infrastructure can be broadened by statute to cover newly prevalent container categories without rebuilding the system from scratch.
Metrics
1Plastic-bottle share of litter after 2009 PET expansion~7.0–8.4% of litter (2004–2008)Sharp decline by 2010% of litter stream
Lessons learned
- Extending deposit coverage to plastic water bottles produced a measurable drop in that item's share of litter by 2010, demonstrating that container-type gaps in existing schemes have quantifiable consequences that can be closed through legislative amendment.
Sources
2Documented Jun 26, 2026