July 28, 2009
Reader Response: Delaware Gov. Keeps Container Deposit Law Afloat
Commonly referred to as Delaware’s “Bottle Bill,” the Delaware Container Deposit Law was almost repealed by the state’s legislators recently. The 27-year-old deposit law would have been repealed by House Bill 201, which didn’t earn the governor’s signature when it reached his desk a few days ago.
In his veto statement to the House of Representatives, Governor Jack Markell wrote in support of the law “Indeed, some estimate that one-third of glass bottles are returned to retailers for recycling. House Bill 201 eliminates this initiative in its entirety, without any proposed alternative.”
Even though he vetoed the action that would have repealed the deposit law, Markell noted a number of issues with the current legislation, such as:
- Very few plastic bottles are returned compared to glass containers
- Cans are no longer included with in the law’s scope
- The program is cumbersome and costly to administer for retailers
- There is very little accountability in the program, making effectiveness is difficult to measure
In summary, Markell states that “consumers are paying for a recycling initiative that is not very effective.”
On the other hand, Markell also observed that there is nothing in House Bill 201 that would have prohibited distributors from continuing to charge the bottle deposits, or raising prices to offset decreased revenue.
In addition to this, there were no mechanisms in place for the recovery of deposits that are already in the system by consumers. Essentially, consumers would have been at risk to continue paying for a service that was no longer in effect.
“Although I am sympathetic to those who argue that the current Bottle Bill system is broken, I am committed to doing what I can to ensure that we replace it with something better,” wrote Markell.
The Delaware governor has now challenged legislators to work with retailers and distributors to find better answers. “Delaware is quickly earning a reputation as a leader in environmental issues like alternative energy and climate prosperity,” he wrote, ” in part, because we recognize the connection between the health of our economy and the health of our environment.”
What do you think? Keep alive a bill that’s not working, or trash an initiative that’s not as effective as planned?
Coment at http://earth911.com/blog/2009/07/28/reader-response-delaware-gov-keeps-container-deposit-law-afloat/
