Ever tried returning bottles and cans somewhere that isn’t a major supermarket? Between the smell and bags of sticky empties, it’s not always the most pleasant shopping experience. And that’s if the machines are working.

A growing number of independent Michigan store owners say they don’t want to deal with it either. They’re now pushing for a new system that would move bottle and can returns out of grocery stores altogether.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at an effort to overhaul Michigan’s 50-year-old bottle bill.

Michigan US Senate candidates call for suspension of gas tax (Michigan Public): Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are both calling for the state and federal gas taxes to be suspended as Michigan gas prices surge. But a suspension appears unlikely, with federal lawmakers away until after the midterms and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall saying a pause in the state tax isn’t “realistic.”

Former Michigan House speaker’s trial delayed (WILX): Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield’s trial has been indefinitely delayed after a judge allowed prosecutors to use testimony from a forensic accountant alleging Chatfield used a political nonprofit to pay personal expenses. Chatfield’s defense is appealing the decision, meaning the case will go to the Michigan Court of Appeals before a new trial date can be set.

Former MSU doctor arrested for sexually assaulting patients (FOX 2): A former Michigan State University physician has been arrested in Georgia after two patients accused him of sexual assault during medical appointments. MSU says the physician was removed from patient care and dismissed after the first report in April 2025, and the university is now working to contact patients he saw between July 2024 and April 2025.

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Savon Foods owner John Denha stands near a bottle return at his store in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. A trade group, the Midwest Independent Retailers Association, is calling on Michigan to revise its more than 50-year-old Bottle Bill and stop allowing people to return cans and bottles to the stores where they buy the beverages. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

A group of independent retailers in Michigan is looking to make a major fundamental change to Michigan’s 50-year-old bottle and can, 10-cent deposit redemption program: no longer returning the beverage containers to the stores where they are purchased.

It’s a question of hygiene and food safety, says Bill Wild, CEO of the West Bloomfield-based Midwest Independent Retailers Association. The trade organization, operating since 1910, represents more than 1,000 retailers in Michigan affected by Michigan’s so-called Bottle Bill, passed by voters in a referendum in 1976.

“Let’s take the trash out of grocery stores,” he said.

“The state of Michigan kind of turns its head the other way as people are dragging these dirty bottles and cans back into the grocery stores. Most people store these in their garage, or maybe outside. People pick them up on the side of the road or out of garbage cans. There are a lot of pests and garbage and other unsanitary things that are ending up in these bottles and cans.”

MIRA is calling for a two-year sunsetting of the Bottle Bill while a new system is devised that separates bottle and can redemption returns from stores, perhaps through standalone recycle centers or through curbside recycling — which is already a place that bottles and cans are increasingly showing up as deposit-payers decide taking them in for their dime back isn’t worth the effort.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

We’ve heard from some independent store owners, now I want to hear from Michiganders.

So, this week, let me know:

Reminder: When responding, include your first name and where you’re from to have your answer included.

Have a question you want me to ask our community? Send it my way. I might feature it in a future edition.

Missed the answers to last week’s question: “What’s your prediction for the Lions’ record this season?” Find them in our Friday newsletter here.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with a feature story from USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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