Urging Maryland to Enact a "Bottle Bill"

Summer is in full swing with more people spending time outdoors in environments threatened by plastic beverage bottles, a significant source of plastic pollution. As an advocate for ways to stop plastic pollution individually and collectively, this July the National Aquarium is spotlighting the need for Maryland to adopt a beverage container deposit return program, or "bottle bill," to help keep our ecosystems and communities clean.

Of the estimated 5.5 billion beverage containers sold in Maryland annually, only 25% are recycled. The remaining 4 billion (about half of which are plastic) are landfilled, incinerated, or become litter in our environment. These disposal methods, like each step in plastic's petroleum-based lifecycle, contribute to pollution and environmental justice concerns by impacting our environment, endangering wildlife and harming human health. Actions by individuals and businesses, such as volunteer debris cleanups and the Aquarium's elimination of single-use beverage containers from our cafes, are important for reducing plastic pollution. However, the scope of the problem also demands proven policies, like "bottle bills."

"Bottle bills" require adding a small deposit (e.g., 10 cents) to the purchase price of beverage containers that is refunded when containers are returned for recycling. After all, when purchasing a beverage, you are buying the liquid inside and only borrowing the container! Similar policies in various locations have proven effective over the last 50 years. Currently, 10 U.S. states and several countries have container deposit programs that have doubled recycling rates—sometimes even tripling them to reach 90%—while reducing litter and waste management costs.

Container deposit programs are part of a variety of strategies needed to reduce plastic pollution, and combining them with other approaches, like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging policies, has been shown to improve the effectiveness of both programs. Following Maryland's successful enactment of an EPR for packaging in 2025, and ahead of the state's 2027 legislative session, we urge Maryland General Assembly lawmakers to take another critical, cost-effective step by passing legislation to create a beverage container deposit program. To help Maryland get closer to a cleaner and healthier future for all, find your state delegate or senator and ask them to support a "bottle bill."