Senator Johnson’s Beverage Container Recycling Bill Would Promote Resource Independence, Support Businesses, and Clean Up Texas Lands

News Release Contact: Brenda Allen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Brenda.Allen@senate.texas.gov
April 22, 2025 972-701-0349
SENATOR JOHNSON’S BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING BILL WOULD PROMOTE
RESOURCE INDEPENDENCE, SUPPORT BUSINESSES, AND CLEAN UP TEXAS LANDS
AUSTIN, TX — Last Thursday, State Senator Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) presented his Senate Bill
728, a bipartisan proposal to establish a statewide beverage container recycling program. The bill
creates a deposit program—proven effective in the U.S. and around the world—and establishes a
consortium of industries charged with implementing the program and meeting recycling goals.
Witnesses testified to the wisdom of a program that would allow Texas to retain, rather than
import, highly valuable recycling feedstock—the tons of cans and bottles presently floating and
sinking in waters and streams and strewn across neighborhoods and roads—with minimal
government involvement.
“This program would transform a blight into a resource. Recycling the vast quantities of discarded
glass and plastic bottles and aluminum cans keeps them out of our water and off our land, while
supporting the manufacture of essential products by major Texas industries,” said Senator Johnson.
“It supports businesses, like insulation manufacturers, while restoring the beauty of our
environment.”
Recycling That Works for Texas
SB 728 addresses a growing concern among Texas manufacturers and recyclers: the shrinking
supply of domestic recycled materials. In 2021 alone, Texas lost out on an estimated $372.6
million in recyclable container value due to deficiencies in our current recycling systems.
Aluminum in particular is highly prized, as the U.S. imports around 90% of the aluminum it
consumes, while recycled glass and plastics are favored by industries like fiberglass manufacturers.
This bill would:
• Create a statewide bottle deposit program to increase recycling rates and reduce litter.
• Establish the Texas Beverage Container Recycling Consortium to oversee implementation
and adjust deposit and refund rates.
• Launch a Recycling Refund Trust Fund to securely manage deposits and ensure efficient
operations.
• Build local recycling infrastructure, keeping jobs and dollars in Texas and reducing
dependence on out-of-state supply.

A Win-Win for Business and the Environment
Economic Gains
Senate Bill 728 supports economic development by creating new opportunities for innovation and
local business growth. By encouraging in-state recycling and processing, the bill reduces the need
for Texas manufacturers to import recycled materials from other states or abroad—an increasingly
expensive and unstable option. It also keeps more dollars circulating within Texas communities
and creates jobs across a range of sectors, including recycling, transportation, and manufacturing.
The bill provides structure and oversight through the creation of a recycling consortium and trust
fund administered in conjunction with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, promoting
cooperation among industries and between industry and regulators.
Environmental Gains
Texas currently recycles just 22% of its recyclable beverage containers—well below the 34%
national average. SB 728 provides a practical solution to improve that rate by incentivizing the
return and reuse of beverage containers. The program will help reduce litter in public spaces and
protect waterways and green spaces. Over time, it will promote a stronger culture of sustainability
by increasing access to and participation in recycling, while also reducing the environmental strain
of waste disposal and material extraction.
“This isn’t just an environmental bill—it’s an economic development plan,” Johnson added. “It’s
good for producers, good for consumers, and good for our state.”
To learn more about Senate Bill 728 or track its progress, visit Texas Legislature Online.
About Senator Nathan Johnson: Senator Nathan Johnson was re-elected in 2024 to serve a third term in
the Texas Senate. He represents almost a million Dallas County residents in the growing and rapidly
diversifying Senate District 16. With six years of legislative experience, Senator Johnson serves on several
key Senate committees, including Business and Commerce, Jurisprudence (Vice-Chair), Economic
Development, Transportation, and Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs.