May 21, 2008
Good Question: Why Don't We Have Recycling Refunds
Jason DeRusha
(WCCO) Minnesotans buy more than 2 billion aluminum cans every year. And depending on who you listen to, somewhere between 40 and 60 percent of those cans end up in the trash instead of the recycle bin. That got WCCO-TV viewers wondering, why Minnesota doesn't have a deposit program to encourage recycling.
"I think that would help with the environment and gets everyone to help with recycling," said Brandi Kennedy, of Plymouth, Minn.
Jan Magner of Sauk Rapids submitted the same question, "Is it more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly to expect people to recycle?"
The answer depends on who you ask. Advocates for so-called "Bottle Bills" point to the high rate of participation in recycling programs that the bills tend to provoke. They say by providing a financial incentive to recycle, people respond.
However, opponents question whether the benefit is outweighed by the cost.
"It's come up many, many, many times," said Ellen Telander, Executive Director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota. Telander said her organization has no position on the issue; they simply want to encourage recycling.
According to Telander, historically the state of Minnesota has chosen to focus on curbside recycling rather than setting up the infrastructure needed for a deposit collection program.
"The government wanted to provide something so simple that people would use," said Telander. "It was decided that instead of focusing on just one material, we would focus on recycling as a whole."
Eleven states have deposit programs. Consumers get their money back if they return the bottle or can to either the store or a collection location.
In Iowa, the state has had a 5 cent deposit on beverage containers (cans and bottles) since 1979. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 90 percent of all beverage containers get recycled.
But not everyone loves it.
"The system is so inefficient it stinks," e-mailed Justin, a former Minnesota resident now living in Iowa. "I spend all this work to then get 60 cents back? I can't even buy a candy bar with that. Let alone, if I go on a trip across the country, am I supposed to keep my cans from Iowa with for the whole trip so I can get the refund back?"
Bottle deposit programs are different from the old days when consumers paid a deposit on glass bottles because the bottlers took those bottles, cleaned them and refilled them.
Some Minnesota legislators proposed a 10-cent deposit bill in the House in March, but it didn't get out of committee. The Minnesota Grocers Association and Minnesota Beverage Association oppose bottle bills, for several reasons.
"Improving recycling needs to look beyond just beverage containers," said Joan Archer, a spokesperson for the beverage association. She said beverage containers typically represent just 3 to 4 percent of all trash.
Plus, "a bottle bill would hurt our existing recycling system," she said.
If consumers shifted their bottles and cans away from curbside recycling, the municipalities running curbside programs would lose that revenue.
The Grocers Association is also opposed, largely because its members would be responsible to manage the collection of money and the collection of cans and bottles.
In Minnesota, the state's Pollution Control Agency is officially neutral on the topic, however, in a 2007 Solid Waste Report, the MPCA wrote: " The current recycling system is missing major energy and greenhouse gas reduction opportunities with beverage containers, starting with aluminum cans."
According to the report, the MPCA wants to get the recycling rate for beverage containers up to 80 percent by 2012.
"If the benchmark indicates that progress is not satisfactory toward the 80 percent goal, the MPCA will recommend stronger action be taken," according to the report.
The options include putting the responsibility for collection and recycling onto the producers, a traditional deposit program or a disposal ban on beverage containers.
For extra resources on bottle deposit bills and programs, click on the links below:
House Bill 4047 to Propose a Bottle Bill
MN PCA Solid Waste Policy Report
Bottle Bill Advocates
AM Beverage Association Fact Sheet Against Bottle Bills
http://wcco.com/local/recycling.refund.programs.2.729889.html
