Deposit Systems

Deposit systems are programs designed to divert reusable, recyclable, or hazardous materials from illegal disposal or from municipal landfills by providing consumers with financial incentives to act responsibly. A deposit is charged at the point of purchase and refunded upon return of the good or its recyclable container to an authorized redemption center. Most commonly, deposit systems have been set up for glass or aluminum beverage containers, but they can be applied to any consumer good. They are currently components of a few cradle-to-cradle (C2C) and cradle-to-grave (C2G) product management schemes, and will likely become commonplace as the public's understanding of life cycle costs increases. Costs associated with the disposal, particularly for hazardous or nonbiodegradable materials, are increasingly considered the responsibility of the producer or ...