Iowa grocers asking for public support to maintain employee and customer safety.

DES MOINES, Iowa—The Iowa Grocery Industry Association seeks public support for retailers who have growing concerns about how to keep their employees and customers safe as the Governor’s proclamation on bottle redemption relief is set to expire 11:59 p.m., July 25.  

“IGIA has concerns about accepting containers for redemption inside stores where there is not adequate space, separation and machines to handle them,” says Iowa Grocery Industry Association President Michelle Hurd.

As the deadline for the proclamation nears, retailers around the state are extremely concerned about how to deal with these containers and the sanitation challenges they pose. 

“A number of our retail members feel the situation is not right for them to begin accepting containers at this time,” says Hurd. “Accepting containers inside our stores while we are still dealing with the risks associated with COVID-19 presents an increased risk to the health and safety of our employees and customers.”

The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is asking consumers to consider taking their containers to a redemption center or to a location that has a redemption room separate from the store. The organization has posted a list of open redemptions centers on its website at http://igia.dynamicwebware.com/Regulatory/Bottle%20Bill/Redemption%20Center%20Customer%20List%207_20_20.pdf. Hurd recommends calling first if a redemption center does not appear on this list as some redemption centers remain closed due to the ongoing pandemic.