Bottle & Can Counter
Last updated: March 2026
Michigan pays 10 cents per container — the highest bottle deposit in the United States. Whether you're doing a bottle drive, collecting cans as a side hustle, or just returning your empties, Michigan's deposit rate means your containers are worth double what they'd be in most other states.
At 10 cents each, 1,000 cans = $100. That's half the cans you'd need in a 5-cent state like New York. Michigan's bottle bill has been in effect since 1976 and consistently achieves one of the highest return rates in the country.
Use your phone camera to count cans before you go to the store. Know your total before you leave home.
Count My Cans Free →| Container Type | Deposit | Covered? |
|---|---|---|
| Beer cans & bottles | 10¢ | Yes ✓ |
| Soda / pop cans | 10¢ | Yes ✓ |
| Sparkling water | 10¢ | Yes ✓ |
| Carbonated cocktails | 10¢ | Yes ✓ |
| Juice | — | No ✗ |
| Milk | — | No ✗ |
| Wine & liquor | — | No ✗ |
| Non-carbonated water | — | No ✗ |
| Sports drinks (Gatorade) | — | No ✗ |
The key rule: if it's carbonated, it has a deposit. If it's not carbonated, it doesn't. The container material doesn't matter — aluminum cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles all qualify as long as the beverage inside was carbonated.
Michigan's reverse vending machines (RVMs) scan the barcode on each container. If the can is crushed, the machine can't read the barcode and will reject it. Keep your cans intact to get your full 10-cent deposit back.
Some redemption centers that do manual counts may accept crushed cans — but don't count on it. The safest move is to always keep containers in their original shape.
Michigan law requires retailers that sell beverages to accept returns. Any store that sells pop or beer must take back empties and pay the deposit. Most grocery stores and gas stations have reverse vending machines. Limit: $25 worth per person per day at each retailer (250 cans).
For larger quantities, use a dedicated redemption center. No daily limit applies. These are especially useful for bottle drives or serious collectors. Search "bottle return near me" in Google Maps to find the closest one.
| Cans | Bags (approx) | You Earn |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | ~3 grocery bags | $10.00 |
| 250 | ~1 large trash bag | $25.00 |
| 500 | ~2 large trash bags | $50.00 |
| 1,000 | ~4 large trash bags | $100.00 |
| 2,500 | ~10 large trash bags | $250.00 |
Michigan's 10-cent deposit became nationally famous thanks to Seinfeld Season 7. In the two-part episode "The Bottle Deposit," Kramer and Newman scheme to drive a mail truck full of New York cans to Michigan to cash in on the price difference — 5 cents in NY vs 10 cents in MI.
While it made for great TV, this is actually illegal. Michigan uses barcode tracking to identify where containers were sold. Returning out-of-state containers is deposit fraud, punishable by fines up to $100 for individuals and $5,000+ for commercial operations. Michigan has prosecuted multiple real-life cases of cross-border bottle fraud.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Michigan Beverage Container Act signed into law |
| 1978 | Law takes effect — 10¢ deposit from day one |
| 1989 | Expanded to cover cans as well as glass bottles |
| 2009 | Automated barcode scanning adopted statewide |
| 2023 | 97% return rate achieved — highest ever recorded |
| 2026 | Expansion proposals under consideration (non-carbonated beverages) |
At 10¢ per can, every container counts. Use your phone camera to get an exact count in seconds.
Start Counting Free →