I currently live in Michigan and the deposit is ten cents per bottle (whether two liter or smaller) and it basically works with a few hiccups.
For instance, national soda brands can be redeemed at any grocer. But if you buy a store’s generic brand, you must return it to that retailer. The machine spits it back otherwise. Annoying.
Also, you’d better not take the labels off or obscure them in any way (as I did with six packs of the smaller bottles when I re-used them) because you won’t get your money back if the machine can’t read the barcode.
And you’d better hope that someone is on duty for when those machines get filled up. Otherwise you’ve got to wait 30 mins. or more or come back another day. I usually go late at night cuz I hate waiting in line for one of those machines to be available during regular shopping hours.
And I very rarely buy smaller bottles or cans so hauling all those 2 liter bottles back gets pretty cumbersome.
But my biggest query is why it’s only soda cans and bottles that the machines will take. They will not accept any size bottles from water. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. So I end up recycling all my water bottles myself by re-using them for my milk and coffee.
But then they still have to go in the regular trash instead of one of the machines. Why?
Anyhow, to answer your question, here’s my guess as to why the system in Michigan isn’t more widespread.
We basically live in a disposable society. It’s a pervasive mindset (unfortunately) and in spite of all the educational efforts on recycling, people are reluctant to change the status quo. It’s a shame.
I don’t know why Michigan’s method couldn’t be adopted by other states (and even refined) for any other reason than the basic apathy of the throw-away society we have become.
For the most part it’s working fine here in Michigan. And if they would include bottled water containers it would be better yet.