Mass. stores charging 5 cent deposit on energy drink cans that can't be returned

BOSTON – How closely do you pay attention to your grocery receipts? A viewer from Charlton says she discovered an issue that could impact countless of consumers here in Massachusetts.

We are talking about that five cent bottle deposit charged on soft drinks. When a consumer buys one, they pay the deposit and if they return the bottle or can to the retailer, they get the deposit back.

Or at least that's how it's supposed to work. But the shopper we spoke to who didn't want to give her name, says she's been buying Celsius energy drinks at the Shaw's Supermarket in Sturbridge for the past couple of months. 

Her receipts show she paid the deposit on each one, but when she tried to return the cans, the machine at the store spit it back out saying it was not eligible for the refund.

That's when she took a closer look at the can and noticed only Connecticut, Hawaii and Maine were stamped on the side for bottle deposit states. 

Other flavors made by the same manufacturer are carbonated and those do have Massachusetts printed on the side, but not the non-carbonated flavors that she likes.

"If they are charging for it, I should be able to return it and receive my deposit back," she said. "That money has got to be going somewhere and people are getting charged and that money needs to be returned to the consumer."

WBZ-TV also bought several cans at Shaw's as well as a Star Market store and were also charged the deposit.

We reached out to Shaw's and Star Market, which are owned by the same company, and a spokesperson responded with a statement. 

"At Shaw's and Star Market, our team works diligently to ensure that we comply with all state bottle deposit mandates, and we are working to quickly resolve this issue. We strive to continually provide accurate and consistent information on our register receipts," the company said.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, it is aware of the issue. A representative from the DEP said the store is charging the deposit because the distributor charged the deposit to the store, a problem that is growing more common as non-carbonated beverages are part of the deposit system in surrounding states like Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and New York. The DEP said consumers can ask the store for the deposit back.

We also reached out to the manufacturer but have not heard back.