(Radio Iowa) – A legislator who started drinking a different flavor of a popular beverage was surprised she couldn’t return the empties for a nickel deposit, so she’s sponsoring a bill to expand Iowa’s Bottle Bill. Representative Devon Wood of New Market consumes a lot of CELSIUS, which contains caffeine.

“I fell in love with a flavor to start with that happened to have been carbonated and was throwing it in my box of redeemables to redeem as usual and then switched to a flavor that was not carbonated and hadn’t even thought about the difference,” Wood said.

There is a difference. Aluminum cans that contain alcoholic or carbonated beverages are part of the “Bottle Bill” and subject to a five cent deposit, which can be redeemed. Wood’s bill would make cans with non-carbonated beverages subject to the Bottle Bill as well. Critics say the nickel deposit is a tax on Iowans.

Supporters of the Bottle Bill say it encourages recycling, so bottles and cans don’t wind up in the trash. Wood’s bill is eligible for consideration in a House committee this week.