Ontario
July 26, 2011 A new bottle recycling container is helping to divert glass from needlessly being sent to landfill. The Bottle Bin™ reusable container helps Ontarians to conveniently store, sort and return their empty wine, beer and spirit bottles. Glass containers are diverted from landfill and consumers are assisted to take full advantage of the Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP). CNW
Vermont
July 25, 2011 Recycling advocates gathered Monday to put messages in bottles to send to the Vermont Statehouse. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group hosted the press conference in Burlington to raise support for expanding Vermont's bottle bill. They want to include non-carbonated beverage containers like water bottles and sports drink bottles. WCAX News
Massachusetts
Consumers will pay for bottle bill (Letter to the Editor) Kevin S. Dietly, Principal, Northbridge Environmental
July 28, 2011 THE DEPARTMENT of Environmental Protection missed the point with its attempt to justify an expansion of the bottle bill (“State report offers case for expanding bottle law,’’ Metro, July 20). Our firm has estimated that expanding the law would cost stores and beverage distributors $58 million per year to achieve an increase of one-eighth of 1 percent in our recycling rate statewide - not a good investment, especially with food prices already rising. The Boston Globe
July 26, 2011 Since its enactment in 1983, the 5-cent bottle deposit has encouraged a high rate of recycling with more than 30 billion containers redeemed. Each year the Commonwealth is able to collect nearly $40 million for the general fund from unclaimed deposits on certain beer, soft drink, and other beverage containers. However, nearly 30 years later the majority of litter now comes from bottles and containers that have increased in popularity, but are not included in the current bottle bill law. Boston.com
July 22, 2011 Recycling is a minor Massachusetts state religion. It is preached to kids from an early age, and municipalities large and small make it easy to recycle. So we question the common sense in expanding the so-called “bottle bill,” given this societal shift over the past 20 years and the shaky finances of the average family in Massachusetts. Boston Business Journal
July 22, 2011 After nearly 16 years, advocates of expanding Massachusetts' bottle bill might be within striking distance of their goal as lawmakers in the commonwealth consider legislation that would attach a deposit to many beverage containers not covered by the original measure. However, industry groups are pushing back. The state's current bottle bill places a nickel deposit on glass, plastic, metal, aluminum and other containers holding beer, carbonated soft drinks and mineral water. Passed in 1982, some are saying it's time to follow the example of other states and give it an update. Resource Recycling
July 22, 2011 Advocates for adding a 5-cent deposit to bottled water, sports drinks and some other kinds of beverages believe that after years of effort, their measure finally has enough juice to gain legislative approval. PatriotLedger.com
July 21, 2011 Small businesses, unions, trade associations and citizens across Massachusetts have announced a coalition, Real Recycling for Massachusetts, in opposition to a costly and inefficient proposal that would expand the current five cent fee on soda and beer containers to include every bottle and can of 100 percent juice, juice drinks, iced tea, bottled water, flavored water, sports drinks and other beverages. Packaging Digest
Australia
July 26 2011 On 22 June, the Federal parliament passed the Product Stewardship Act (Act). The Act provides the umbrella provisions for product stewardship in Australia. Details of product-specific schemes will be in underlying regulations. ...In this article, we take a more detailed look at the new Act, the implications for the E-Waste Scheme and the future of product stewardship in Australia. Mondaq
July 18 2011 The Boomerang Alliance of environment groups today protested in Melbourne withdrawing from the Commonwealth investigation of a national ten cent container deposit scheme. ... Said Dave West, National Policy Director, Boomerang Alliance, “This process is both delayed and corrupted. We do not believe the Federal department can manage this process and in fact the investigation is designed to fail. There is no way this Federal process will resolve this issue."
28 Jul 2011 Everyone wants to increase recycling rates. So why then are green groups abandoning the process to find the best way to recycle? It's disappointing that Green activists have boycotted a whole-of-Australia process to assess a range of approaches to improve packaging recycling rates and reduce waste in Australia. ABC
