The break is over: Any Michigan retailer selling cans or bottles with 10-cent deposits must accept them.
The state in June began reinstating the collection of returnables, first at large grocery stores that have machines. Now any store must take cans and bottles and redeem the deposits, the Treasury Department said Thursday.
Because of the coronavirus, consumers were prohibited from returning cans and bottles for weeks, starting in March.
“I feel bad for the folks who do not have reverse vending machines and have to take the cans back,” said Bryan Neiman, who runs Neiman’s Family Market in Clarkston, Tawas City and St. Clair.
“When people walk in with a great big garbage bag full, and you have to reach your hands into stale beer, pop, spit, it’s just awful. There’s nothing worse,” he said.
The state said stores can limit the number of hours for returns. Deposit refunds also can be capped at $25 per day.
