Lisa Roose-Church

Livingston Daily

A Genesee County man was arraigned in Livingston County for trying to return more than 10,000 non-returnable bottles.

Brian Edward Everidge, 44, of Columbiaville, pleaded not guilty to one count of beverage return of non-refundable bottles, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Everidge, who is free on a $5,000 personal bond, returns to 53rd District Court on June 22 for a preliminary exam conference. The preliminary exam is tentatively set for June 29.

The charge came as the result of a Michigan State Police motor carrier officer’s investigation.

Police said the officer stopped Everidge for speeding around 10 p.m. April 27 on northbound U.S. 23 near Faussett Road in Tyrone Township.

The officer noticed a large quantity of bottles in Everidge’s rental vehicle and became suspicious. Subsequent investigation revealed Everidge’s alleged plot to return more than 10,000 non-returnable bottles from other states at stores in Michigan.

State police declined to release additional information.

According to Michigan’s Beverage Containers Act, a person cannot return or attempt to return to a dealer a beverage container the person knows was not purchased in Michigan as a filled returnable container. Anyone attempting to return 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers can be found guilty of a felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000.

Of all the states with bottle bills, Michigan has the highest refund value, according to statistics from the Container Recycling Institute.

California has a 10 cent refund on bottles that are 24 ounces or larger while anything smaller is 5 cents while Maine's and Vermont’s bottle bills provide 15 cents on liquor bottles and 5 cents on all beverages except dairy products and unprocessed cider, the CRI noted.

Contact Livingston Daily justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.