July 5, 2000
The
Albuquerque Tribune
Letter to the Editor
Let's Slam Dunk This Bad Idea
In a vain attempt to increase recycling of plastic beverage bottles,
the National Soft Drink Association has brought "slam dunk"
to Albuquerque. The trade association has placed 800 3-foot-high,
plastic "bottle bins" at convenience stores, gas stations
and other high-traffic locations in and around the city. Citizens
are encouraged to "slam dunk" their empty plastic beverage
bottles into the green bins.
That should be no problem, since a good number of soft-drink consumers
in Albuquerque are well over 3 feet tall. What might be a problem
is convincing the citizens that the bins will have any long-term
effect.
Similar "bottle bin" programs in other cities have done
nothing to improve the falling plastic beverage bottle recycling
rate, which has dropped for four consecutive years. Promotional
programs, like "slam dunk," that glamorize recycling in
an attempt to trigger the recycling impulse, are short-term and
short-lived. Recycling is not a short-term enterprise. It takes
a long-term commitment and a strong incentive to achieve high recovery
rates of plastic bottles or any other recyclable material.
Bottle bills provide that incentive by requiring refundable deposits
on beverage containers. The proof is in the recycling rates: Plastic
soda bottle recycling rates are three times higher in the 10 bottle-bill
states and the one bottle-bill city than they are in most non-bottle-bill
states.
Bottle bills do more than recover plastic soda bottle (and other
beverage containers) for recycling. They also keep them out of landfills
and off of city streets, playgrounds and parks.
Albuquerque should replace the "bottle bins" with a bottle
bill.
Pat Franklin
Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
Arlington, VA
