# Coke and Pepsi add QR codes to cans in 2026 to enable recycling deposit returns in 10 states

*Bottle bill compliance automation turns a regulatory burden into first-party customer data capture at point-of-disposal.*

By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC.
Published 2026-08-08.

Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/beverage-brands-coke-pepsi-others-2026-08-08t21-4
Subject: Beverage brands (Coke, Pepsi, others)
Tags: packaging, qr code, first-party data, recycling, compliance, customer acquisition

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Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other major beverage companies are rolling out QR codes on aluminum cans across **10 U.S. states** starting in 2026, according to MSN Money. The codes enable consumers to claim bottle deposit refunds digitally without returning physical containers to redemption centers. States with container deposit laws — including California, Michigan, Oregon, and New York — require **5 to 10 cents** per container refunded at return, a friction point that has historically suppressed redemption rates and left millions in unclaimed deposits.

The QR system works as proof-of-purchase for recycling. A consumer scans the code on the empty can, confirms disposal in a participating bin or at curbside, and receives the deposit credit via mobile wallet or retailer account. The beverage company fulfills the regulatory obligation without operating reverse vending machines or staffing redemption centers. For the brand, the trade is clean: swap logistical cost for a direct relationship with the person drinking the product.

The mechanism that makes this valuable is **first-party data collection at the moment of disposal**. Traditional bottle bills create no customer connection — a can goes into a machine, a voucher prints, the transaction ends. QR-based redemption requires account creation or app download, turning a compliance task into an owned audience. The brand now knows purchase frequency, location, flavor preference, and disposal behavior. That data feeds retargeting, packaging tests, and geographic distribution decisions. Michigan, where redemption rates hit **89%** under the old system, represents **9.4 million** potential customer records if digitized.

The steal for a small physical-product brand is to treat required consumer interaction — warranty registration, rebate claim, compliance disclosure — as an owned-channel acquisition event. Print a QR code on packaging that links to a claim form hosted on your domain. Require an email to unlock the rebate, download the manual, or enter a giveaway. The form should take **under 60 seconds** to complete and deliver value immediately: a PDF, a discount code, or deposit credit. Use a tool like Typeform or Jotform (free tier supports **100 responses per month**) to collect the data and pipe it into your email provider. Cost to implement: **zero** if you control your packaging artwork and have an email list.

Structure the interaction so the QR code lives where the customer engages post-purchase — inside a product box, on a hang tag, on the packaging they discard. If you sell consumables, place the code on the container itself and offer a small rebate for proof of repeat purchase. If you sell durables, put the code on the warranty card and require registration to activate coverage. The goal is not the rebate; it is the record. A **5% rebate** on a **$40** product costs you **$2** per acquisition, cheaper than most paid social if the customer was going to buy anyway. The data you capture — verified purchaser, shipping ZIP, purchase date — is worth multiples of that in retargeting and retention.

Beverage giants are spending compliance dollars to build customer files. You can do the same by making any mandatory customer touchpoint — registration, rebate, returns — a deliberate data capture moment with a scannable code and a **30-second** form.

## The takeaway

Turn required consumer interactions into owned-channel acquisition by embedding QR codes that link to fast, value-delivering data capture forms.

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## Publisher

**Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339.
Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**.

- Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about
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