Letter to the Editor

Preserve best recycling program Mass. has

Our state Legislature is considering changes to the Bottle Bill, one of the most successful environmental laws this state has ever passed. The Bottle Bill is badly in need of an update, as many of today's popular drinks, such as bottled water, sports drinks, and iced tea, didn't even exist when the bill was written and therefore do not require a deposit.

The pending bill would apply a 5-cent deposit to these containers, which would have a huge impact on our environment. While more than 80 percent of deposit containers are redeemed and recycled, only 24 percent of non-covered containers are recycled. The rest are filling our garbage cans, littering our highways, and polluting our environment for generations to come.

The bottling industry has incorrectly claimed that deposits are a "tax" placed on consumers. They fail to recognize that bottle deposits are 100 percent refundable and provide an incentive for all of us to recycle. Simply returning the container to where you bought it, or putting it in a recycling bin, will help keep our neighborhoods litter-free and keep harmful plastics out of landfills. Rather than try to make a good program better, the bottlers are trying to destroy the best recycling program we have.

The updated Bottle Bill would vastly reduce litter and add up to $20 million to state revenues through projected unclaimed deposits. Moreover, because PET plastic bottles are made of 99 percent petroleum, it will help decrease our consumption of oil.

I urge readers to let your legislators know that you support the updated Bottle Bill, which is known as H3515. You can learn more and download letters to mail to your state legislators at www.massbottlebill.org.

Massachusetts legislators should stand up against the bottlers and work to keep our communities clean. The Bottle Bill has been a tremendous success and the proposed changes will make it even more successful.

Neil Rhein, Mansfield

THIS WRITER is chairman of Keep Mansfield Beautiful.

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/11/05/opinion/6385381.txt