Michigan places 10 cent deposit per container for beverages of beer, pop, carbonated and mineral water, wine coolers, canned cocktails. Returns were not allowed from the start of the pandemic until early to mid June. During that time consumers were left with and estimated $50 million dollars in returns. Once returns were allowed long line formed at retailers. The retailers' bins quickly filled and then people were once again left with no return options. There are still issues. My local Kroger is open until 11 pm but they close their returns section at 8 pm, just 5 minutes before I arrived this evening after my group run. I then traveled to my local Meijer grocery and found their bottle & can return section closed because their bins are full and they are waiting for their contractor to come and empty the bins. The local Walmart has about 8 bottle and can return machines but they only allow two machines to be used at a time to allow physical distancing. They station an employee at the entrance to enforce the rule. Others with bottle returns must queue up outside the store. The Kroger store installed dividers between machines that only protrude out by about 6 inches and are only about 12 inches long. I am not sure how they expect something that small to provide any protection between users of two adjacent machines.
The easiest solution is just hand off one's bottles and cans to one of the charities that collects them. My wife donated $15 to $20 of cans before returns were allowed.
Retailers may take any of the following steps to help with the influx of containers:
Limit the number of beverage containers that may be returned by a single individual per day to a deposit refund amount of $25.
Establish special or limited hours of operation for bottle return facilities.
Limit the number of available and operating reverse vending machines.
Periodically close bottle deposit facilities as needed for cleaning and supply management.
Implement such other procedures or restrictions as each retailer may determine are necessary or advisable to promote safety and/or efficiency.