Whether or not to expand, repeal, or restructure Iowa’s bottle bill, the legislation that created the bottle deposit in Iowa, has been a perennial issue at the state capitol. This year, the conversation surrounding the bill has been more serious. There have been bills introduced to repeal the bottle bill, bills to expand it, and now there’s ongoing discussion about creating an amendment to another bill that would move can and bottle redemption out of grocery stores across Iowa.
During this hour of River to River, host Ben Stanton talks with Representative Andy McKean, who is proposing to expand the bottle bill, and Senator Randy Feenstra who is proposing an amendment to move can and bottle redemption out of grocery stores.
Iowa Public Radio’s Statehouse Correspondent Joyce Russell, Michelle Hurd, president of the Iowa Grocers Association, and Dave Hoffman, who runs a can and bottle redemption center in Washington, Iowa, also join the conversation.