Editorial

Reject ‘Bottle’ Bill for W.Va.

One of the last things West Virginians struggling to make ends meet during the current recession need is higher prices for food and beverages. Yet the West Virginia Citizen Action Group is proposing - again - a "bottle bill" that would have the effect of forcing many to pay more.

For several years the CAG and other organizations have advocated enactment of a "bottle bill" in our state. Such legislation would require that retailers charge a refundable deposit for glass, plastic and metal beverage containers. The current CAG proposal calls for a 5-cent deposit. That would mean a six-pack of soft drinks would cost consumers 30 cents more at the checkout.

Theoretically, of course, deposits would be refunded once consumers return containers to retailers. That would mean a new cost of doing business for retailers, which would be passed through to consumers.

And, of course, new mechanisms for handling all those containers returned for recycling would have to be established - and paid for, one way or another, by consumers.

A "bottle bill" would be very bad news for businesses in border counties such as ours. The additional 5-cent fee on beverage containers would drive some shoppers to patronize stores in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some would buy all their groceries, not just beverages, out of state.

Fortunately, Gov. Joe Manchin has refused to endorse the proposal or to press legislators to approve it. Manchin is right. There is no good time for a "bottle bill" - especially now.

http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/534220.html