March 16, 2009
Controversial West Virginia Bottle Bill Has Support
Wheeling, WV (AHN) - West Virginia lawmakers will consider implementing a bottle tax to increase recycling and decrease litter.
The proposed bottle bill would place a 10 cent tax on beverage and beer bottles to encourage consumers to recycle them by returning the empties a redemption center.
And the idea of taxing and recycling bottles enjoys support in the state where resolutions supporting the proposed legislation have been passed by municipal governments in Addison, Athens, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, South Charleston, Morgantown, St. Albans and Harrison and Fayette counties. In addition, a statewide petition in support of the legislations has garnered thousands of signatures.
Supporters say that 11 other states have found that the bottle tax encourages recycling programs and has reduced litter in those places. They also say the program would create jobs.
Critics say the program wouldn't be self-sufficient and would require money from the state.
West Virginians use 1 billion bottles per year. Most of those end up in landfills or as litter on the state's highways, according to a statement on the Recycling Institute's Website. The organization lists the things that the proposed bottle bill would do.
This Act will:
- Increase recycling rates
- Reduce litter
- Reduce landfill tonnage, thereby increasing the useful life span of landfills
- Reduce the overall burden placed on taxpayers and municipal waste management systems
- Save taxpayers money - West Virginia spends $3 million a year on litter clean-up
- Reduce costs to West Virginia farmers for damage to crops and livestock caused by litter
- Place the responsibility of beverage container recycling on the producers and consumers of the beverages instead of the state's taxpayers.
This Act will:
- Likely create $25 million from unclaimed deposits annually the state could use to fund recycling.
- Require a fully refundable 10-cent deposit on single-use beverage containers including glass, plastic and aluminum.
- Allow West Virginia to join the other eleven bottle bill states whose legislation enjoys strong public support.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7014432864
