New York 2011 Bills

In addition to a bill to expand New York's deposit law, which has been introduced almost every year since 1995, this year also features a bill reducing the number of redemption centers required in stores, and another changing the requirements for beverage companies that use refillable bottles.

Refillables Bill

This bill would allow distributors of refillable bottles to keep all of the deposits on their unreturned containers rather than remitting 80% of them to the state as present law requires.
Bill Number and Name S 3496 Bill text
Primary Sponsor Senator Grisanti
Containers Covered Refillable bottles

 

Details

According to Laura Haight of NYPIRG:

This legislation is being pushed by Sam Adams, which claims to be the only beer company in NY truly dedicated to using refillable bottles. ...

This makes sense, because refillable bottles cost more to produce, and when they are not returned the bottler must replace them with new ones.  It is possible that this small incentive might encourage other bottlers to use refillable bottles in New York, esp. some of the microbreweries.  There are still some refillable soda bottles sold in New York as well, such as College Club Beverages in Rochester.

Progress

February 23, 2011: Referred to Environmental Conservation

March 8, 2011: Reported and committed to Finance

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Expansion bill

Bill Number and Name A 3630 Bill text
Sponsors Englebright
Beverages Covered Add fruit juices, ice tea beverages, milk, wine and liquor

Details

This bill expands the deposit law to cover fruit juices, iced tea, milk, wine, and liquor. It also defines a beverage container as a container which can be refilled at least 25 times.

While the campaign to expand New York's deposit law has been ongoing for over a decade, a new development this year is the amendment of the state's solid waste plan to support the expansion effort. Specifically stated, "To support enhanced materials recovery and revenue generation, DEC will advance proposed legislation to expand the Returnable Container Law to include all beverage containers."1

Progress

January 26, 2011: Referred to environmental conservation

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Contacts

 

RVM Bill

Bill Number and Name S 2877 Bill text
Sponsors Sen. GRISANTI

Details

Under New York's existing law, chain stores above 40,000 square feet are required to operate a certain number of reverse vending machines proportional to their size. This bill clarifies that only square footage dedicated to sales and display counts toward this requirement. It generally reduces the number of machines required for each size bracket. Also describes additional circumstances by which a store can be exempt from the requirement.

Progress

February 2, 2011: Referred to Environmental Conservation

March 8, 2011: Reported and committed to Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business

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Contacts

 

Footnotes

1. Source: Excerpt from solid waste management plan. "10.1.4 Expand the Returnable Container Law." Courtesy of Laura Haight