B. In addition to the payment of the refund value, the initiator of the deposit under section 1863-A, subsection 3 shall reimburse the dealer or local redemption center for the cost of handling beverage containers subject to section 1863-A in an amount that equals at least 3¢ per returned container for containers picked up by the initiator before March 1, 2004 and at least 3 1/2__for containers picked up on or after March 1, 2004. The initiator of the deposit may reimburse the dealer or local redemption center directly or indirectly through a contracted agent or though a party with which it has entered into a commingling agreement.

C.__The reimbursement that the initiator of the deposit is obligated to pay the dealer or redemption center pursuant to paragraph A or B must be reduced by 1/2__for any returned container that is subject to a qualified commingling agreement that allows the dealer or redemption center to commingle beverage containers of like product group, material and size.__A commingling agreement is qualified for purposes of this paragraph if the department determines that 50% or more of the beverage containers of like product group, material and size for which the deposits are being initiated in the State are covered by the commingling agreement.__Once the initiator of deposit has established a qualified commingling agreement for containers of a like product group, material and size, the department shall allow additional brands to be included from a different product group if they are of like material.__The State, through the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, shall make every reasonable effort to enter into a qualified commingling agreement under this subparagraph with every other initiator of deposits for beverage containers that are of like product group, size and material as the beverage containers for which the State is the initiator of deposit.

D.__Paragraphs A, B and C of this subsection do not apply to a brewer who annually produces no more than 50,000 gallons of its product or a bottler of water who annually sells no more than 250,000 containers each containing no more than one gallon of its product.__In addition to the payment of the refund value, an initiator of deposit under section 1863-A, subsections 1 to 4 who is also a brewer who annually