Container Recycling Institute

10/14/2026

CRI President Susan V. Collins (left) joins Connecticut State Representative Mary Mushinsky, Assistant Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore in the state House of Representatives, at the recent Connecticut League of Conservation Voters CTLCV - Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Environmental Achievement Awards – where this outstanding legislator received a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations Rep. Mushinsky! CRI greatly appreciates your leadership on environmental legislation, and it has been an honor to know you and work with you.

Photo copyright Todd Johnson Photography

10/13/2026

CRI's new, first-of-its-kind guidebook on preventing fraud, free riding and operational errors (FF&E) in beverage container deposit-return systems (DRS) examines these issues in all 10 U.S. deposit states, while identifying approaches to provide stronger safeguards for DRS programs.

The guidebook serves as an indispensable resource for all stakeholders involved in developing, operating or improving DRS programs -- including policymakers and program administrators, state and oversight agencies, redemption centers, beverage industry participants and researchers.

You can find the guidebook and related materials at https://www.container-recycling.org/fraud-and-free-riding/

Also make sure to sign up for our webinar this Thursday, taking place to complement the guidebook's release and featuring experts to discuss DRS FF&E prevention strategies in the U.S. and Canada:

➡️CRI President Susan V. Collins

➡️ Mark Emsden, President & CEO, Beverage Container Management Board (Alberta, Canada)

➡️Devon Horsfield, VP of Strategy and Outreach, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative

Webinar details and registration: https://www.container-recycling.org/home/cri-webinars/

We hope you will join us!

10/09/2026

🇸🇬 Following a 6-month transition period, on Oct. 1 Singapore began full implementation of its "Beverage Container Return Scheme" (aka deposit-return system, or )- joining approximately 60 other jurisdictions worldwide w/DRS programs in place.

About a dozen more jurisdictions are in the process of implementing deposit-return systems.

Singapore's new 10-cent bottle and can return program is asking shoppers to make a small but meaningful change: hold on to empty drink containers long enough to claim their money back.

10/08/2026

Don't miss this timely webinar complementing CRI's just-released comprehensive guidebook on further strengthening deposit-return systems' ( , aka ) effectiveness through strategies to prevent fraud, free riding and operational errors.

https://www.container-recycling.org/home/cri-webinars/

10/07/2026

From CT Insider on changes to Connecticut's beverage container deposit-return system ( , aka ): Starting Oct. 1, penalties apply if "large amounts [of containers] are redeemed in Connecticut without paying a deposit here first."- meaning bringing in containers to receive the 10-cent deposit-refund from other states with lower or no deposit amounts.

🢂 Also read CRI's new guidebook to learn more on strategies to address fraud, free riding and errors in DRS programs. https://www.container-recycling.org/fraud-and-free-riding/

Penalties for breaking the new law can include five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

10/06/2026

Thank you to Resource Recycling for this story on CRI's new guidebook on strategies to prevent fraud, free riding and errors in beverage container deposit-return systems ( , aka ).

From Michigan's fraud cases to Hawaii's scaled-back audits, a new CRI guidebook maps where the 10 US deposit states are losing money and what they can do about it.

10/05/2026

From Retail Gazette (UK):

"Exchange for Change has set out its intended producer fees for the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme, giving drinks businesses more detail as they prepare for its October 2027 launch.

"Producers will pay no fee for the first 15 months, from October 2027 to December 2028, with current projections putting the fee at 0.6p per aluminium and steel container and 2.3p per PET container from January 2029. The figures will be reviewed and reconfirmed in May 2027, with annual reviews after launch."

Full story:

Exchange for Change has set out its intended producer fees for the UK’s Deposit Return Scheme, giving drinks businesses more detail as they prepare for its October 2027 launch. Prod...

10/05/2026

♻️🔍 Bottle bills work, but fraud and free riding can quietly drain their value. A new guidebook tackles it head-on.

The Container Recycling Institute has released "A Stronger Return on Every Deposit," the first comprehensive resource examining fraud, free riding and operational errors across all 10 U.S. beverage container deposit states. Built by a subcommittee of industry experts, the guidebook walks through real-world examples of how these problems arise, highlights practices already working in different states, and offers a roadmap, from legislation to enforcement, for strengthening deposit-return systems nationwide.

Want to see the full list of recommendations and what CRI's leadership had to say about protecting these high-performing recycling programs?

👉 Read the full article: https://wasteadvantagemag.com/container-recycling-institute-releases-first-of-its-kind-guidebook/

10/01/2026

CRI today is releasing a first-of-its-kind comprehensive guidebook that examines fraud, free riding, and operational errors across all 10 U.S. states with beverage container deposit-return systems ( , aka ) – which data show are the most effective systems for achieving high recycling rates.

The guidebook is intended for policymakers, program administrators, state and oversight agencies, redemption centers, beverage industry participants, and others who develop, operate, or oversee DRS programs; and provides practical strategies on how to strengthen these systems.

Whether a state is developing a new DRS program, updating an existing one, or looking for ways to strengthen program integrity, this guidebook provides comprehensive reference material for understanding the vulnerabilities that can arise and the tools available to address them.

Read the guidebook and related materials: https://www.container-recycling.org/fraud-and-free-riding/

09/29/2026

During a recent online informational hearing on Hawaii's beverage container deposit-return system ( , aka ), CRI President Susan Collins said states that raise their deposits from 5¢ (like in Hawaii) to 10¢ see higher redemption rates.

Nicole Lowen

How to improve the HI-5 recycling program? - Hawaii News | Hawaii Tribune-Herald