Beverage containers: wine and distilled spirits: processing fees

The cap limits fees charged to beverage producers while preserving full processing payments to recyclers, subject to available funds.

What the law does ​

• Caps the processing fee for qualifying bag-in-box wine, distilled spirits, and cooler containers at $0.12 each.
• Defines qualifying containers as a flexible dispensing bag inside a primarily cardboard or corrugated-paper rigid box.
• Allows the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to credit eligible producers’ 2027 fees for amounts paid above the later-established 2026 capped fee.
• Requires the department, subject to available funds, to fully pay recyclers when bag-in-box fee-account revenue falls short.
• Keeps the department responsible for calculating recycling costs and processing payments for these containers.
• Repeals these provisions on January 1, 2031.

Who it affects ​

• Producers of bag-in-box wine, distilled spirits, and wine or distilled-spirit coolers.
• Recycling processors and certified recycling centers handling qualifying containers.