Nebraska · NE · Food & drink
Nebraska: Is there a bottle deposit?
No bottle deposit
Nebraska has no bottle deposit; it charges businesses a non-refundable litter fee instead.
No Nebraska law puts a refundable deposit on drink containers. Under the Litter Reduction and Recycling Act, manufacturers and wholesalers pay an annual fee on sales of litter-prone products, including soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and glass, metal, and plastic containers. The fee pays for litter and recycling grants and is never refunded to shoppers, so it is not a deposit.
What the law says
The fee imposed by section 81-1559 shall be calculated only on the value of products or the gross proceeds of sales of products which directly contribute to litter as defined in section 81-1541
Sources
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-1559 Official · nebraskalegislature.gov
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-1560 Official · nebraskalegislature.gov
- DWEE Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program Official · dwee.nebraska.gov
- Container Recycling Institute: U.S. deposit laws Secondary · bottlebill.org
- Rhode Island Legislative Council: Beverage Container Laws Overview (2023), lists the ten deposit states Official · rilegislature.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, Litter Reduction and Recycling Program
- Phone
- 402-471-4242
- Website
- dwee.nebraska.gov
How bordering states compare
- Colorado No bottle depositColorado has no bottle deposit law; its 2022 packaging recycling law charges producers, not shoppers, and pays no refunds.
- Iowa Bottle deposit lawIowa's bottle bill puts a 5-cent refundable deposit on carbonated soft drinks, beer, wine, and liquor containers.
- Kansas No bottle depositKansas has no bottle deposit law; shoppers pay no refundable deposit on cans or bottles.
- Missouri No bottle depositMissouri has no bottle deposit law; drink containers carry no refundable deposit.
- South Dakota No bottle depositSouth Dakota has no state bottle deposit law, so cans and bottles carry no refundable deposit.
- Wyoming No bottle depositWyoming has no state bottle deposit law, so cans and bottles carry no refundable deposit.