December 3, 1978

The bottle bill went into effect.

Michigan was the first industrial state to enact a beverage container deposit law and the first—and only—state to set the deposit at 10 cents. The bottle bill greatly reduced roadside litter, and according to the Center for Marine Conservation, Michigan consistently has the nation’s lowest percentage of bottle and can litter on its beaches.

Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past.  See more here.