Letter to the Editor

Urge expansion of bottle bill

Michigan citizens have a timely opportunity to correct a serious problem with litter along our state's streams, lakes, beaches and roadways. At the same time, Michiganders can help reduce energy use and create new jobs.

How is this possible? By contacting state legislators and asking them to support expanding Michigan's bottle bill to include noncarbonated drinks such as bottled water, sport drinks, tea and juice containers.

The 50,000 hunters and anglers and 400 affiliated clubs that belong to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs overwhelmingly support this proposal. MUCC first blazed this trail in 1976 when Michigan, by a 2-to-1 voter margin, became the first state to pass a bottle law.

The current law has been incredibly successful. More than 97 percent of the 5.5 billion beer and soda-pop containers sold each year in Michigan are recycled. Sadly, only 20 percent of noncarbonated drink containers are recycled.

Within two years, bottled water and other nonfizzy drinks are expected to outsell pop and beer. We need to encourage lawmakers to add these containers to the 10-cent deposit law.

Expanding the bottle bill will:

• Save energy. Already we are saving 450,000 barrels of oil each year - enough to fuel 150,000 cars for a month - by returning beer and pop containers.

• Save money. The state annually spends $5.5 million to pick up empty water bottles and other trash.

• Create jobs. The Michigan Recycling Institute says annual sales of recycled commodities are nearly $2 billion. The 5,000 people employed by this industry earn $137 million each year.

It's time to join other states such as California, Hawaii and Maine that already have a deposit on bottled water containers.

Michigan should be next. Before state senators and representatives recess for the Fourth of July holiday, urge them to support expanding the bottle bill.

Dennis Muchmore

Executive director

Michigan United

Conservation Clubs

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