On Wednesday, the Washington DC City Council held a hearing on the Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Amendment Act of 2025: aka, the DC Bottle Bill! To get this important bill passed, we need you to make your voice heard and let your council member know that you support the it and the positive impact it can have on reducing waste in the District.
We all use bottles and cans. Now, we can all be part of the solution. Support the DC Bottle Bill and help create a cleaner, healthier city for future generations.
What is the DC Bottle Bill?
The DC Bottle Bill is a proposed law designed to cut plastic waste, protect our waterways, and boost recycling through a 10-cent refundable deposit on beverage containers, including plastic water bottles, cans, and glass bottles. When you return your empty container, you get your money back.
This program empowers District residents to play a direct role in building a circular economy in which bottles don’t end up as trash but instead become valuable resources that can be reused and recycled.
Plastic Bottle Pollution in D.C.
Every year, hundreds of millions of beverage containers are sold in D.C., yet only a fraction are recycled. Too many of these bottles and cans are tossed in the trash, burned in incinerators, or washed into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Once there, they pollute, endanger wildlife, and threaten our drinking water.
Bottle Return Programs Work
They dramatically increase recycling rates:
- States with bottle bills recycle between 2 and 3 times more beverage containers than those without.
- Only 24% of beverage containers bought in D.C. make it through a recycling facility, but a deposit program could increase this to over 80%.
They reduce litter and pollution:
- Deposit-return systems significantly reduce trash in streets, parks, and rivers.
- In DC, the Bottle Bill will keep harmful plastics out of the Anacostia, the Potomac, and Chesapeake Bay.
They encourage producer responsibility:
- Beverage companies fund the system, so the burden is not put on the consumer.
- Bottle bills hold corporations accountable for the waste their products create.
They save local governments money:
- Cut costs for trash collection, litter cleanup, and landfill tipping fees.
- Relieve pressure on D.C.’s municipal recycling programs.
They promote Environmental Justice:
- Reduces the amount of waste incinerated in overburdened communities.
- Provides income opportunities for people who collect and redeem bottles.
Help us pass the DC Bottle Bill! Click here to send a message to Mayor Bowser and your City Council representatives today!
