The Trump administration has put a hold on many new tariffs, yet certain ones persist, including a significant 25% tariff on aluminum. Coca-Cola’s CEO, James Quincy, mentioned that the company might have to adjust its practices, possibly importing aluminum from Canada for soda cans to mitigate price increases and reduce reliance on plastics.
Regardless of your feelings about President Trump’s tariffs, those who are concerned about pollution and saving money might see this as a chance for beverage companies to lessen their environmental impact. They could invest in using recycled aluminum sourced from local recycling initiatives.
Instead of letting large corporations keep pushing plastic bottles, it would be wise for Congress to implement a nationwide bottle bill.
For over 40 years, ten states in the U.S. have thrived under refundable container deposit laws, commonly referred to as “bottle bills.” Here’s how it works: when you buy a soda or a beer, you pay a small deposit—typically a nickel or a dime—that you can get back when you return the empty container to a store or a redemption center. Interestingly, a dime often leads to a higher return rate.
This straightforward return system has successfully kept billions of beverage containers, whether made of aluminum, glass, or plastic, out of landfills. Containers with deposits boast recycling rates between 56% and 75%, whereas those without range from just 18% to 37%. Studies show that bottle bills are quite effective in cutting down pollution.
New York, which initiated its bottle deposit system in 1982, has reportedly seen a 70% reduction in litter. If you visit and look around, you won’t find many empty beer bottles or soda cans on the streets—many locals collect them for the nickel deposit. Implementing a national bottle bill could benefit the U.S. by creating jobs and conserving resources.
Some innovative solutions involve reverse vending machines, which function a bit like soda machines but are designed to receive clean, empty containers. These systems tend to yield much higher recycling rates than traditional home recycling bins. Certain supermarkets offer a way for consumers to efficiently return all types of beverage containers in one go, using QR codes for convenience, which certainly saves time. Refunds can lead to cash, donations to charities, or even contributions to college savings plans.
Around the globe—countries like Norway, Ecuador, and the Netherlands have successfully adopted redemption systems for beverages. The absence of a national bottle bill in the U.S. seems largely due to the lobbying power of beverage giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which, frankly, gain without bearing the responsibility for recycling and cleaning up pollution. Instead, they prefer to push those costs onto taxpayers.
Emphasizing reuse over recycling, the U.S. has also fallen behind in utilizing reusable beverage containers. This could become a vital aspect of a Returnable Container Act. Other nations, such as Ethiopia, the Philippines, Germany, and Nicaragua, offer great examples of effectively employing reusable bottles. In the Philippines, for instance, about 40% of all non-alcoholic beverages come in reusable bottles, which are collected, cleaned, and reused many times.
Unfortunately, U.S. beverage companies have not fulfilled their ambitious promises to transition to reusable packaging. Coca-Cola recently abandoned its goal to have 25% of its bottles as reusable by the end of the year, while PepsiCo seems to be falling short in its pledge to ensure all packaging is recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2025.
This situation reflects a significant environmental challenge. Tariffs could actually push Coca-Cola and PepsiCo toward adopting reusable glass bottles more rapidly. Instead of waiting years to build new manufacturing plants, these companies can set up cleaning operations much quicker. In fact, Europe is far ahead in this area, with commercial cleaning operations not only reducing waste but generating local jobs, too.
If tariffs lead to increased costs for aluminum and other materials used in beverage containers, it would be prudent for Congress to embrace bottle bills across the nation. The urgency to take action is apparent.
Judith Enck is a former EPA regional administrator, president of Beyond Plastics and professor at Bennington College.
