The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 10 : Conservation and Development

Chapter 053 : Beverage Containers; Deposit-Redemption System

• § 1523. Acceptance of beverage containers [Effective until March 1, 2029; see also § 1523 effective March 1, 2029, set out below]

  (a) Except as provided in section 1522 of this title:

  (1) A retailer shall not refuse to accept from any person any empty beverage containers, labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title, of the kind, size, and brand sold by the retailer, and a retailer or a redemption center shall not refuse to pay to a person the refund value of a beverage container as established by section 1522 of this title, except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

  (2) A manufacturer or distributor shall not refuse to pick up from a retailer that sells its product or a person operating a certified redemption center any empty beverage containers, labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title, of the kind, size, and brand sold by the manufacturer or distributor, or refuse to pay the retailer or a person operating a redemption center the refund value of a beverage container as established by section 1522 of this title.

  (b) A retailer, with the prior approval of the Secretary, may refuse to redeem beverage containers if a redemption center or centers are established that serve the public need.

  (c) A retailer or a person operating a redemption center may refuse to redeem beverage containers that are not clean or are broken and shall not redeem beverage containers that are not labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title.

  (d)-(f) [Repealed.] (Added 1971, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1975, No. 105, § 4; 1983, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2005, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2007, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2025, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.)

• § 1523. Acceptance of beverage containers [Effective March 1, 2029; see also § 1523 effective until March 1, 2029, set out above]

  (a) Except as provided in section 1522 of this title:

  (1) A retailer shall not refuse to accept from any person any empty beverage containers, labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title, and a retailer or a redemption center shall not refuse to pay to that person the refund value of a beverage container as established by section 1522 of this title, except as provided in subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

  (2) The producer responsibility organization shall not refuse to pick up from a point of redemption included in the stewardship plan empty beverage containers, labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title, or refuse to pay the point of redemption the refund value of a beverage container as established by section 1522 of this title.

  (b)(1) A retailer may refuse to redeem beverage containers if a stewardship plan that meets the requirements of section 1532 of this title has been implemented by the producer responsibility organization in the State and the retailer’s building is less than 5,000 square feet.

  (2) A manufacturer that sells directly to a consumer from a retail location may refuse to redeem beverage containers if the retail location where the manufacturer or distributor sells beverage containers is less than 5,000 square feet.

  (c) A point of redemption or producer responsibility organization shall refuse to redeem beverage containers that are not clean, are broken, are not labeled in accordance with section 1524 of this title, were known to have been purchased out of State, have already been redeemed, or are not registered with the producer responsibility organization pursuant to subsection 1531(d) of this title.

  (d)-(f) [Repealed.] (Added 1971, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1975, No. 105, § 4; 1983, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2005, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2007, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2025, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2026; 2025, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 1, 2029.)