VINTON, Iowa — Tensions are growing between Iowa grocery stores refusing to accept cans and customers, who in many cases, don’t have a convenient way to get that deposit back.
It started in March when Governor Reynolds suspended the requirement for grocers to accept empty cans or bottles that they sell.
It was a measure taken with the COVID-19 emergency disaster declaration.
On July 24, she announced stores would be required to resume container redemption on July 26. The only exception would be if a store posted the location of a nearby DNR-approved redemption center. To be approved the center needs to be within 10 minutes of the store.
However, some grocery stores are going against the law, refusing to accept containers at any of their Iowa stores, even if there isn’t another place nearby to get the deposit back.
Local 5 spoke with Iowans who rely on getting that deposit and advocates who said it’s not only unfair, it’s illegal.
Janie Seely lives in Vinton and has always shopped at the local Fareway, a few blocks down from her house.
She stopped after growing frustrations over Fareway not allowing her to redeem cans that she bought there. She said she needs that money for gas.
"You know, I live in a two bedroom apartment, my daughter and I do. Both are on fixed incomes, we don’t have a whole lot of money," Janie Seely said.
"They've had since March to figure this issue out. They’ve had plenty of time to plan for it. There’s no one in this town that is accepting bottle returns."
Janie’s local Fareway store in Vinton posted three redemption center locations on their door, but they’re each more than 28 miles away: one in Traer, one in Independence, and one in Cedar Rapids. From that Fareway, it's a 30-40 minute drive.
"There are a lot of people in this community who don’t drive. And they have no way of getting those bottles and cans returned. They have no way," Seely said.
Mick Barry, president of Mid America Recyling, says he doesn't understand why, in his words, a "well-respected grocery chain" isn't doing something he feels could serve Iowans during a difficult financial time.
"Is Fareway telling us we’ve been doing it wrong for 41 years? And if so why don’t they have a proposal?" said Barry.
Barry knows how gross used cans can be, as the president of Iowa's largest recycling facility, but he said Fareway’s reason of citing employee safety during COVID-19 doesn’t hold water since they still don’t require customers to wear masks and they still handle cash.
"There has been no cases [of COVID-19] shown to be traced back to the redeeming of cans and bottles," said Barry.
Janie said she knows it’s just a nickel, but that means gas money that she doesn’t want to spend driving 40 minutes away.
"It just bothers me that these big companies are allowed to get away with violating this and once again it’s left to us to, you know, to deal with it," Janie said.
The Iowa DNR confirmed that the Fareway in Vinton does not have an approved redemption center nearby to accept cans on their behalf.
They told Local 5 it's a simple misdemeanor with a fine of up to $625, but it’s up to local law enforcement to enforce.
The Iowa Grocers Industry Association has filed a petition that would, in part, remove the requirement that redemption centers need to be within ten minutes of their facility.
In response, the non-profit Cleaner Iowa has filed a counter petition to intervene.
Local 5 reached out to Fareway last week, and they were unable to do an on-camera interview by Wednesday, saying they were working to restore power to dozens of stores after the powerful storm.
Fareway sent Local 5 a statement Wednesday night claiming the decision is meant to keep customers and workers safe.
They said "health authorities continue to advise that COVID-19 and other viruses are transmitted through respiratory droplets. Accepting potentially contaminated containers inside our stores presents a great risk of harm to the health and safety of our employees and customers."
When Fareway orders products like beer or soda that come in recyclable bottles, they said their stores are charged that 5-cent deposit per container.
They typically pass that cost onto the consumer, but right now Fareway is covering that cost themselves.