March 25, 2006
'YES' to the bottle deposit bill
For a nickel, we can add jobs, cut litter
The Tennessee House Government Operations Committee could take up a bill next week that would make Tennessee the 12th state to require consumers who buy beverages in bottles or cans to pay a deposit on each container. The 5-cent deposits would be refunded when the containers are returned to state-authorized redemption centers for recycling.
Supporters see the proposal as an important step in reducing litter, encouraging recycling and saving energy and other resources.
Opponents, however, question the likely environmental benefits. They say a container deposit law would instead raise costs for consumers and add another layer to state government bureaucracy.
Today's guest columnists, James H. Baker of the Sierra Club and retail grocery executive Billy McLemore, debate the pros and cons of the issue.
For more information on the bill, go to www.legislature.state.tn.us/ and click on the "Legislation" link. Then search for HB3350 or SB3616.
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As early as next week, a Tennessee House committee could debate the merits of a bill that would put Tennessee on the path toward becoming the 12th state to enact environmentally friendly legislation requiring beverage container deposits.
Tennesseans owe thanks to state Rep. Russell Johnson of Loudon and Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge for sponsoring the Tennessee Beverage Container Deposit Act of 2006. Their bills would discourage litter and encourage recycling by placing a five-cent refundable deposit on each container of beer, soda, bottled water and other designated beverages sold in Tennessee, beginning in 2008.
The consumer would pay the deposit at the point of purchase, then get the deposit back when he or she returns the empty container to a redemption center. Several types of redemption centers would be authorized by the state, including independent, stand-alone facilities, authorized retailers and "reverse vending machines." Redemption centers would receive a 3-cent handling fee, paid by the beverage distributor, for each glass, plastic or metal container it recycled.
What are the benefits of this legislation?
It would generate new jobs across Tennessee in the form of a network of independent "mom and pop" redemption centers, particularly in rural counties. In Maine, about 90 percent of all redemptions are done at such small businesses. Homeless shelters and other social service organizations may decide to operate redemption centers that would provide a steady source of income for them, as well as jobs and job training for their clients.
It would generate thousands of dollars for nonprofits, including schools and Scout troops, via "bottle drives."
Waste disposal costs would be reduced. Memphis and Shelby County could choose to operate their own redemption centers, perhaps in conjunction with existing trash transfer stations, and thus earn both the handling fee and the scrap revenue.
According to data from the Container Recycling Institute, recycling rates in container deposit states have increased significantly over the national average. Recycling rates for other materials, through programs such as the City of Memphis' curbside recycling, would likely also increase. This would help Memphis' and Shelby County's efforts to reach their solid-waste diversion goal of 25 percent, since beverage containers account for an estimated 5 to 6 percent of landfill volume.
Recycling markets require a steady supply of uncontaminated material. For example, cleaned and recycled plastic soft-drink bottles are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns and fiberfill.
It would reduce litter. A boat ride on McKellar Lake and the Wolf River Harbor today reveals thousands of discarded beverage containers around the shoreline. City and county roads, vacant lots and parks have much beverage container litter.
It would increase money for anti-litter education and cleanups. The proposed bill earmarks $10 million of the unclaimed deposits for the annual county litter grants program (litter pickups and anti-litter education). This would replace the current funding (approximately $4.1 million a year) from existing "litter taxes" on beer and soda, which would be eliminated under the container deposit legislation.
It would conserve energy and natural resources. In 2003 in the United States, 55 billion aluminum beverage cans weighing a total of 820,000 tons were wasted -- left as litter or in landfills, or incinerated. Over 4 million tons of coal must be burned to create the electricity needed to replace these wasted cans. (TVA's Thomas Allen coal-fired electric power station in Southwest Memphis could operate about a year and a half on that same tonnage of coal.) And because of the waste of billions of plastic soda bottles, which are made from oil, Americans have for all practical purposes landfilled, littered or incinerated millions of barrels of oil.
Tennessee needs to join the 11 other states with container deposit legislation. Without such legislation, cleaning up litter is like mopping the floor while the water faucet is still running. Money is expended from the existing litter grants program, effort is expended in anti-litter education and litter cleanups, but real progress is never realized. Container deposits shut off the faucet -- allowing real progress in cleaning up our state. It provides for economic growth and development and it has major environmental benefits as well. It is a "win-win" proposition for Tennessee.