Michigan § 445.572a - Designated metal, glass, or plastic containers; sale or offer of sale of certain beverages; requirements; violations; definitions.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), beginning 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 12-ounce metal beverage container that is not a designated metal container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce metal beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce metal beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 12-ounce metal beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(2) Beginning 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in the Upper Peninsula in a 12-ounce metal beverage container that is not a designated metal container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce metal beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce metal beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 12-ounce metal beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed in the Upper Peninsula by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 12-ounce glass beverage container that is not a designated glass container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce glass beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce glass beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 12-ounce glass beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(4) Beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in the Upper Peninsula in a 12-ounce glass beverage container that is not a designated glass container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce glass beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 12-ounce glass beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 12-ounce glass beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed in the Upper Peninsula by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(5) Except as provided in subsection (6), beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 20-ounce plastic beverage container that is not a designated plastic container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 20-ounce plastic beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 20-ounce plastic beverage containers in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 20-ounce plastic beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(6) Beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of nonalcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give a nonalcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in the Upper Peninsula in a 20-ounce plastic beverage container that is not a designated plastic container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in 20-ounce plastic beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula were at least 500,000 cases, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in 20-ounce plastic beverage containers in the Upper Peninsula in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 cases, and 20-ounce plastic beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed in the Upper Peninsula by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(7) Beginning 90 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give an alcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 12-ounce metal beverage container that is not a designated metal container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 case equivalents, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 case equivalents, and beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(8) Beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give an alcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 12-ounce glass beverage container that is not a designated glass container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 case equivalents, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 case equivalents, and beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(9) Beginning 450 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages shall not sell, offer for sale, or give an alcoholic beverage to a consumer, dealer, or distributor in this state in a 20-ounce plastic beverage container that is not a designated plastic container if either of the following is met:

(a) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were at least 500,000 case equivalents, as determined by the department of treasury.

(b) Sales of that brand of beverage in this state in the preceding calendar year were fewer than 500,000 case equivalents, and beverage containers of that brand of beverage were overredeemed by more than 600,000 containers in the preceding calendar year, as determined by the department of treasury.

(10) A symbol, mark, or other distinguishing characteristic that is placed on a designated metal container, designated glass container, or designated plastic container by a manufacturer to allow a reverse vending machine to determine if that container is a returnable container must be unique to this state, or used only in this state and 1 or more other states that have laws substantially similar to this act.

(11) A person that violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 180 days or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both. Section 4 does not apply to a violation described in this subsection.

(12) As used in this section:

(a) "Alcoholic beverage" means beer, ale, any other malt drink of whatever alcoholic content, a mixed wine drink, or a mixed spirit drink.

(b) "Brand" means any word, name, group of letters, symbol, or trademark, or any combination of them, adopted and used by a manufacturer to identify a specific flavor or type of beverage and to distinguish that flavor or type of beverage from another beverage produced or marketed by that manufacturer or another manufacturer.

(c) "Designated glass container" means a 12-ounce glass beverage container that contains a symbol, mark, or other distinguishing characteristic that allows a reverse vending machine to determine if the beverage container is or is not a returnable container.

(d) "Designated metal container" means a 12-ounce metal beverage container that contains a symbol, mark, or other distinguishing characteristic that allows a reverse vending machine to determine if the beverage container is or is not a returnable container.

(e) "Designated plastic container" means a 20-ounce plastic beverage container that contains a symbol, mark, or other distinguishing characteristic that allows a reverse vending machine to determine if the beverage container is or is not a returnable container.

(f) "Glass beverage container" means a beverage container composed primarily of glass.

(g) "Metal beverage container" means a beverage container composed primarily of metal.

(h) "Nonalcoholic beverage" means a soft drink, soda water, carbonated natural or mineral water, or other nonalcoholic carbonated drink.

(i) "Plastic beverage container" means a beverage container composed primarily of plastic.

(j) "Reverse vending machine" means a device designed to properly identify and process empty beverage containers and provide a means for a deposit refund on returnable containers.