Letter to the Editor

For better bottle bill

IN YOUR May 31 Short Fuse editorial ("Nestle : Green or just green-washing?"), you welcome the idea of Nestle Waters standing behind a national bottle law, and I write to express our continuing and enthusiastic support for such an endeavor. Nestle has a history of supporting bottle bills that promote convenient recycling programs and protect the environment, which is why we felt the current New York bottle bill was a step in the wrong direction. The best deposit laws encourage community-based recycling, promote public health, and apply to all beverages.

In developing a national bottle law, we must look to states that are doing it right. California's law, for example, covers virtually all beverages and provides consumers with incentives to return their containers. Most important, it uses the system's revenue stream to fund community recycling programs, and as a result, 74 percent of containers are recycled in the state.

New York deserves a similarly modernized and expanded bottle bill. So does the nation. Together, lawmakers and industry experts can develop a bill that will support recycling, promote healthy choices, and include all beverages. We at Nestle look forward to working to reach this goal.

Kim Jeffery
Chief executive
Nestle Waters North America
Greenwich, Conn.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/06/13/for_better_bottle_bill/