An act relating to the beverage container redemption system

H 119 expands Vermont's beverage container redemption system to include cider, hard kombucha, noncarbonated water, and noncarbonated soft drinks, while increasing the refundable deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents for most containers. Consumers pay this deposit when purchasing qualifying beverages and receive it back when returning empty containers to retailers or redemption centers. Manufacturers and distributors will reimburse retailers 3.5-4 cents per container for redemption processing. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026, and applies to all affected beverage types sold in the state.