How to Return Coke Bottles

Eleven U.S. states regulate that soft drink bottles carry refundable deposits. If you live in one of these states, you can redeem your deposit by taking empty bottles to the retailer where they were purchased or to a centralized container redemption facility. Returning empty bottles for deposit helps reduce waste and improve the environment while providing personal financial benefit at the same time.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine whether you live in a state where a Bottle Bill is in effect. As of 2010, 11 states regulated that soft drink bottles carry a refundable deposit: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Vermont, according to the Bottle Bill Resource Guide. If you live in one of these states, you paid a small deposit (5 to 10 cents) when you purchased your bottle of Coke, and this money can be redeemed.

• 2

  Take your empty Coca-Cola bottles to the retailer where they were purchased and ask to claim your deposit. Many retailers provide vending machines where bottles can be returned, while others accept empty bottles at the register.

• 3

  Alternatively, take your empty bottles to a container redemption facility if you are not able to return them to the retailer. Most states where Bottle Bills are in effect offer centralized redemption facilities at a variety of locations.

• 4

  Recycle your empty bottles with other plastics if you do not live in a state where a Bottle Bill is in effect. Although you will not be able to claim a deposit, you will help to save production costs and reduce landfill waste, improving the environment for yourself and others.