Bottle Deposit Laws by State: What Every Shopify Merchant Needs to Know
If you sell beverages on Shopify — beer, wine, spirits, soda, water, juice, or anything in a bottle or can — there’s a good chance you’re legally required to collect container deposits in certain states.
The US has 10 states with active bottle deposit laws (commonly called “bottle bills”), each with their own rules, deposit amounts, and covered products. Getting it right matters: non-compliance can mean fines, and customers in bottle bill states expect to see that deposit on their receipt.
This guide covers every US state with a bottle bill, the exact deposit amounts, what’s covered, and how to automate deposit collection on your Shopify store.
🏔️ Key Takeaways
- 10 US states have bottle deposit laws: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont
- Deposit amounts range from 5¢ to 25¢ depending on the state and container type
- Covered products vary — some states cover beer and soda only, others include wine, spirits, and water
- Shopify has no built-in deposit feature — you need an app like Canteen to collect deposits at checkout
- International merchants: Germany’s Pfand system and other global deposit programs may also apply if you ship internationally
- Deposits are refundable to the consumer — they’re not a tax or fee you keep
What Are Bottle Deposit Laws?
Bottle deposit laws — officially called “container deposit legislation” or “bottle bills” — require a refundable deposit to be charged on beverage containers at the point of sale. When consumers return empty containers to a redemption center or retailer, they get their deposit back.
The purpose is simple: incentivize recycling. And it works. States with bottle bills consistently have container recycling rates of 70–90%, compared to 25–35% in states without them.
As a merchant, your obligation is straightforward: collect the deposit at the time of sale and display it as a separate line item. The deposit is not yours to keep — it’s held in trust and ultimately refunded to the consumer when they return the container.
Bottle Deposit Laws by State: The Complete Breakdown
Here’s every US state with a bottle bill, including exact deposit amounts and what’s covered.
California (CRV — California Redemption Value)
| Container Size | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| Less than 24 oz | $0.05 |
| 24 oz or larger | $0.10 |
| Wine and distilled spirits pouches | $0.25 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, wine coolers, distilled spirits, water, carbonated water, soft drinks, fruit juice, vegetable juice, coffee and tea beverages, sports drinks.
Not covered: Milk, wine in glass bottles (though wine pouches are covered), 100% fruit juice in containers over 46 oz, infant formula.
Key details: California’s CRV program is one of the most comprehensive in the country. The program is managed by CalRecycle. Merchants must add CRV as a separate line item at checkout.
Connecticut
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.10 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, and nips (50 ml spirits bottles, added in 2024).
Not covered: Wine, non-carbonated drinks, juice, sports drinks.
Key details: Connecticut raised its deposit from 5¢ to 10¢ in recent years — one of the highest standard deposits in the country. The expanded coverage of nips bottles was a recent legislative addition.
Hawaii (HI-5)
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.05 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, mixed spirits, wine, carbonated and non-carbonated water, soft drinks, tea, coffee, juice, sports drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages.
Not covered: Milk, dairy-based beverages, infant formula, meal replacement drinks.
Key details: Hawaii’s HI-5 program is one of the broadest in terms of covered beverages. The 5¢ deposit is uniform across all container sizes and types. The name “HI-5” is both a nod to the state abbreviation and the 5-cent deposit.
Iowa
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.05 |
Covered products: Beer, carbonated soft drinks, mineral water, wine, wine coolers, liquor.
Not covered: Non-carbonated water, juice, sports drinks, dairy.
Key details: Iowa’s bottle bill has been in place since 1978. It covers a relatively narrow range of beverages compared to newer programs.
Maine
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| Beer, soda, water, juice | $0.05 |
| Wine and liquor | $0.15 |
Covered products: Beer, ale, other malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, non-carbonated water, non-carbonated juice, wine, spirits.
Not covered: Dairy, unprocessed cider.
Key details: Maine has a two-tier deposit system. Standard beverages carry a 5¢ deposit, while wine and liquor containers carry a 15¢ deposit. Maine’s program is one of the oldest in the nation.
Massachusetts
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.05 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks.
Not covered: Water, juice, wine, spirits, non-carbonated drinks.
Key details: Massachusetts has one of the narrower bottle bills, covering only beer and carbonated soft drinks. There have been ongoing legislative efforts to expand coverage to water and other beverages.
Michigan
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.10 |
Covered products: Beer, carbonated soft drinks, carbonated water, wine coolers.
Not covered: Non-carbonated water, wine, spirits, juice.
Key details: Michigan has the highest standard deposit in the country at 10¢, and it shows — the state consistently achieves recycling rates above 90%. If you’ve ever seen a Michigander meticulously saving cans, now you know why.
New York
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.05 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, carbonated water, wine coolers, water (added in 2009).
Not covered: Wine, spirits, juice, non-carbonated non-water beverages.
Key details: New York expanded its bottle bill in 2009 to include bottled water. The program is administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Oregon
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| All covered containers | $0.10 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, water, flavored water, kombucha, coconut water, plant-based waters.
Not covered: Wine, spirits, dairy, infant formula.
Key details: Oregon raised its deposit from 5¢ to 10¢ in 2017. The state’s BottleDrop program is considered one of the most modern and efficient deposit systems in the country. Oregon recently expanded coverage to include several non-traditional beverage categories.
Vermont
| Container Type | Deposit Amount |
|---|---|
| Beer, soda, water | $0.05 |
| Liquor | $0.15 |
Covered products: Beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, spirits, liquor.
Not covered: Wine, juice, dairy.
Key details: Like Maine, Vermont uses a two-tier system with standard beverages at 5¢ and liquor at 15¢.
Quick Reference: All Deposit Amounts at a Glance
| State | Standard Deposit | Higher Deposit | Notable Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5¢ (<24oz) / 10¢ (≥24oz) | 25¢ (wine pouches) | Broadest — includes sports drinks, coffee, tea |
| Connecticut | 10¢ | — | Includes nips bottles |
| Hawaii | 5¢ | — | Includes wine and most non-alcoholic beverages |
| Iowa | 5¢ | — | Includes wine and liquor |
| Maine | 5¢ | 15¢ (wine & liquor) | Two-tier system |
| Massachusetts | 5¢ | — | Narrow — beer and carbonated soft drinks only |
| Michigan | 10¢ | — | Highest standard deposit, 90%+ recycling rate |
| New York | 5¢ | — | Includes bottled water |
| Oregon | 10¢ | — | Includes kombucha, plant-based waters |
| Vermont | 5¢ | 15¢ (liquor) | Two-tier system |
What About the Other 40 States?
The remaining 40 US states do not have bottle deposit laws. If your customers are exclusively in non-bottle-bill states, you don’t need to worry about container deposits.
However, if you ship nationally, you likely have customers in bottle bill states — and you should be collecting deposits on those orders.
International Deposits: Germany’s Pfand and Beyond
If you sell internationally, you may encounter additional deposit systems:
Germany (Pfand)
- €0.25 for single-use plastic bottles and cans
- €0.08 for reusable beer bottles
- €0.15 for reusable non-beer bottles
- Covers almost all beverages except milk and certain juices
Other International Systems
- Netherlands (Statiegeld): €0.15 for small plastic bottles, €0.25 for larger bottles and cans
- Scandinavia (Pant): Varies by country — Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland all have deposit programs
- France (Consigne): Growing system for reusable packaging
- Canada: Each province manages its own deposit program with varying amounts
If you sell to customers in these regions, Canteen supports multiple deposit rules so you can configure the right amounts for each market.
How to Collect Bottle Deposits on Shopify
Shopify doesn’t have native deposit support. Here’s how merchants typically handle it — and the approach we recommend.
❌ Don’t: Bake Deposits Into Product Prices
Adding the deposit to the product price seems easy, but it creates problems:
- Customers can’t see the deposit as a separate item
- Tax calculations may be wrong (deposits are often tax-exempt)
- You can’t track deposit revenue independently
- It’s not compliant in many jurisdictions
❌ Don’t: Use Manual Workarounds
Creating “deposit” products and adding them manually is fragile, error-prone, and doesn’t scale.
✅ Do: Use Canteen to Automate Deposits
Canteen by Sasquatch Apps was built for this. Set up your deposit rules once and they apply automatically at checkout — both on your online store and at Shopify POS.
How to set it up:
- Install Canteen from the Shopify App Store
- Create deposit rules for each applicable state/region — name, amount, per-item or per-case
- Assign to products or collections — link rules to your beverage products
- Configure tax settings — make deposits taxable or tax-exempt as required by your jurisdiction
- Test and verify — confirm deposits appear correctly at checkout
The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Once set up, deposits are collected automatically on every qualifying order.
Compliance Tips for Beverage Merchants
Display Deposits Separately
Most bottle bill states require the deposit to appear as a separate line item on the receipt, not bundled into the product price.
Use the Correct Amount
Deposit amounts are set by law. Charging more or less than the mandated amount is non-compliant.
Keep Deposits Tax-Appropriate
In some states, deposits are exempt from sales tax. In others, they’re taxable. Check your state’s rules and configure accordingly.
Track Deposit Revenue Separately
Deposits aren’t revenue — they’re collected on behalf of the state’s deposit program. Track them independently for clean accounting and reporting.
Stay Current
Deposit amounts and covered products can change with legislation. Review your deposit rules at least annually to make sure they’re current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to collect deposits on online orders?
Yes, if you’re selling covered beverages and shipping to a bottle bill state, you’re generally required to collect the deposit.
What if I only sell in non-bottle-bill states?
Then you don’t need to collect deposits. But if you ship nationwide, check where your customers are.
Are deposits refundable to online customers?
Customers can redeem deposits by returning empty containers to a local redemption center. The deposit isn’t typically refunded by the online merchant directly.
What about kegs and bulk containers?
Keg deposits are common in the beer and brewing industry. Canteen handles keg deposits alongside bottle deposits.
Do I need to collect deposits in Canada?
Yes — Canadian provinces have their own deposit programs. Amounts and covered products vary by province.
The Bottom Line
Bottle deposit compliance isn’t optional if you sell beverages in bottle bill states. The amounts are small per container, but the legal requirement is real — and customers in these states expect to see the deposit on their receipt.
Canteen by Sasquatch Apps makes deposit collection effortless on Shopify. Set up your rules once, and deposits are automatically applied at checkout — online and at POS. No manual work, no compliance gaps.
Install Canteen and automate your bottle deposits today.
Last updated: March 2026. Deposit amounts and covered products are set by state law and may change. Always verify current requirements with your state’s environmental agency. Questions? Contact our team — we’re happy to help.
