Can Drive Fundraiser in Vermont
5¢ (15¢ liquor) per container · Beer, soda, malt beverages — 15¢ on liquor bottles · ~72% redemption
Vermont passed the very first bottle bill in the country in 1953, and generations of habit came with it — the state redeems about 72% of its containers, well above the national average. Vermont also pays 15¢ on liquor bottles, triple the standard rate. In a small state with tight communities, a team's can drive is a familiar, socially accepted ask rather than a novelty.
The Math in Vermont
Every can-drive decision comes down to one number: what Vermont pays you per container. At 5¢ (15¢ liquor), here is exactly what your team has to collect.
| Goal | Containers Needed | Large Trash Bags (≈250 each) |
|---|---|---|
| $100 | 2,000 | 8 |
| $250 | 5,000 | 20 |
| $500 | 10,000 | 40 |
| $1,000 | 20,000 | 80 |
- A grocery bag (30–40 containers) is worth about $1.75.
- A large trash bag (about 250 containers) is worth roughly $13.
- A full garage — 40 large bags — is around $500, which is how a single weekend reaches banquet money.
Set the goal from the units. A team targeting $500 knows it needs 10,000 containers — and can plan the route around that number instead of hoping.
Where to Redeem in Vermont
In-store returns + redemption centers — Compact state, short routes, dependable redemption. Liquor bottles at 15¢ are the highest-value item in the load.
- Vermont redeems through in-store returns and a network of redemption centers, which is where a bulk haul from a weekend drive should go.
- The standard deposit is 5¢, with 15¢ on liquor bottles — and the expanded container list has been pulling in more non-carbonated beverages in recent years, so expect water and juice bottles in the mix.
- Small state, short distances: nothing worth redeeming is far away, so travel time never eats into the haul.
- Because Vermont communities are tight, a well-run drive can become an annual fixture that the same neighborhoods count on every season.
Why Vermont Teams Run Can Drives
Vermont drives work best as an annual neighborhood fixture: the same weekend every season, and neighbors who count on it.
The appeal is the same everywhere in Vermont: nothing to sell, nothing to buy, no cash asked from families. Donors hand over containers they already paid a deposit on and were probably never going to redeem — and the team gets paid for the trip.
What the Team Actually Does
A can drive asks for a few hours of team time, not a season: containers are collected from local households in Vermont, sorted, and redeemed in one trip to In-store returns + redemption centers.
The containers are free. What decides the result is whether the households on your route actually set their containers aside for you — a communication job, not a collection job, and the one piece worth getting right before you print anything.
And whatever the total, write it down. Knowing your real number is what turns a one-off drive into a fundraiser your club schedules every year.
What to Watch Out For in Vermont
- In-state containers only. Deposits belong to the state where the beverage was bought. Loading a truck from across the border is deposit fraud — and states are increasingly checking.
- Know what's not covered. Beer, soda, malt beverages — 15¢ on liquor bottles carry a deposit; anything outside that list counts as zero. Keep non-covered containers out of the load so your count stays clean.
- Redemption caps. Many retailers limit how many containers one person can return in a day. That's why a bulk load goes to a redemption center rather than the corner store.
- Sort before you go. In Vermont the containers worth the most are the ones people forget to set aside — wine and liquor bottles pay up to 15¢ in some states, and larger containers pay double in California.
What's in the 6-Hour Team Fundraiser Kit — $6.99, instant download
What you get: a complete, fillable kit you print and run — ready-to-print team communication materials, route and volunteer planning sheets, collection tracking forms, a sorting and totals worksheet, the complete step-by-step checklist, a Pro-Tips reference card, and the thank-you cards that keep people participating next season.
It's built for a $600+ goal in about 6 hours of team effort — no selling, no door-knocking, and no asking families to buy anything. And it's built around the one asset that does the asking for you: the single piece that decides whether a drive comes home with three bags or four figures, and the piece we are deliberately not printing on this page.
Team name, sport and year are fillable right in the PDF — no design software needed. Print it at home or anywhere you have a printer. Nothing ships. Get the kit — $6.99 →
Vermont Can Drive FAQ
How much is a can worth in Vermont?
Vermont pays 5¢ (15¢ liquor) per container on beer, soda, malt beverages — 15¢ on liquor bottles. That means 2,000 containers to raise $100 — and about $13 in a single large trash bag.
Where do you redeem cans in Vermont?
Compact state, short routes, dependable redemption. Liquor bottles at 15¢ are the highest-value item in the load.
Can a sports team run a can drive in Vermont?
Yes. Neighborhood can drives are a long-standing fundraiser for booster clubs, youth leagues and school teams in Vermont. The team collects containers from local households and redeems them — no product to sell and no cash asked of families.
Do the cans have to be bought in Vermont?
Yes. Bottle deposits belong to the state where the container was purchased, and redeeming out-of-state containers is deposit fraud. Keep the drive local and in-state and you avoid the problem entirely.
Other Bottle-Bill States
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