Iowa Survey Shows the Bottle Bill is Still Popular

According to a new survey, the vast majority of Iowans still like getting nickeled and dimed.

Changes to the "bottle bill" have been a heated topic of discussion with no consensus reached in the Iowa legislature for years. Should establishments continue to be required to return the 5 or 10 cent deposit on applicable bottles and cans returned by customers?

Many places took it upon themselves to stop taking them during the pandemic, but according to Radio Iowa, 84 percent of Iowans surveyed (albeit only 814 in total) by the non-profit Cleaner Iowa say not only should it continue, but it also needs to be expanded.

It's been a law for some 50 years, according to KWQC when then-Governor Robert Ray passed it. The reasons it gets overwhelming support to this day are relatively obvious. The empty containers, if returned responsibly, are recycled to keep the environment clean.

By a margin of almost 2 to 1, poll respondents said the same places that sell beverage cans and bottles should continue to be required to accept and redeem them for the refund. Others say even more redemption centers should be opened or re-opened.

According to KWQC:

The study also found that more Iowa voters support expanding the bill, Seltzer said. 86 percent were for adding additional places bottles and cans can be returned, 72 percent favored an increase in handling fees and 71 percent were for expanding the law to cover more beverage containers.

Cans of beer, soda, wine, and liquor are redeemable for five cents in Iowa, and many respondents said that should be upped to 10 cents.

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