Can redemption center closing

Hold on to those bags of cans.

Creston’s only can redemption service, The Can Place, will close Nov. 15, leaving the city without a dedicated redemption center for turning in used cans and bottles.

Iowa’s Beverage Containers Control Law, also known as the bottle bill, creates a five cent deposit with every purchase of a beverage. Iowans can return the beverage container to can redemption centers to receive their reimbursement of the five cent deposit.

Through this process, Iowa can monitor recycled containers and keep glass, plastic and cans out of landfills. In 2022, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported out of the almost 2 billion beverage containers sold with the five cent deposit, about 49% of them are returned for the reimbursement.

Each redemption center approved by the Iowa DNR take in empty containers and return them to distributors, receiving the five cent deposit to pay back customers and a three cent handling fee.

The DNR also reported how the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decline in recycling rates, also owing to new regulations implemented during the time to how retailers can accept beverages containers.

A sign on the front door of The Can Place informs of the business’ decision to close.

“Dear customers,” the sign reads. “The building has been sold resulting in loss of our business. Our last day to take cans will be Friday Nov. 15. Thank you for your business the last 10 [plus] years. Mike.”

Without a dedicated can redemption center, those looking to return empty containers for their deposit will be left to return them to the retailers which sold them. If a business continues to refuse, they could face simple misdemeanor fines.

Dealers, the legal term for stores which sell beverages, can choose to opt out of accepting beverage containers for three reasons. First, if the dealer holds a food establishment license under chapter 137F, they are exempt. This typically keeps restaurants and bars from being responsible for beverage containers.

Second, if the dealer has entered an agreement with an approved redemption center to operate a mobile redemption system, they are also exempt. The dealer would have to provide space, utilities and an internet connection to operate.

Third, and the one most important to The Can Place’s closure, details how close an approved redemption center would need to be for a dealer to refuse empty beverages. As a county with a population of 30,000 or fewer, retailers in Union County require an approved redemption center within 15 miles.

The closest locations for approved can redemptions Creston stores can refer to would be for either Corning’s Droppett or Sheley’s Redemption in Lenox. Both are well over the 15 mile distance the bottle bill requires.

Hy-Vee Store Manager Brian Davis said he wasn’t aware of The Can Place’s closure, but said the store would look for options in finding a new redemption center to refer customers.