Editorial

Keep bottle bill until a better system is found

In 1978, Terry Branstad — then a member of the Iowa House of Representatives — fought hard for what has become hallmark legislation for environmentalists.

He and Gov. Robert Ray pushed hard and were successful in getting Iowa’s so-called “bottle bill” passed into law.

Now, there is talk of repealing the bill that requires a 5-cent deposit on each can or bottle of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks sold in the state.

But until something better comes along — and we hope it does — the talking stage is where action on this proposal should stop.

Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott, is among those seeking the repeal, saying the deposit — which is returned to consumers when the cans and bottles are redeemed — is no longer necessary.

“With the recycling programs we have, we are way ahead of where we were when the bill was passed,” said Paustian, chairman of a subcommittee that met on the proposal. “We had nothing then.”

And nothing is basically what we have now, only not in the way Paustian is talking. The bottle bill has worked so well that Iowa is known for having nothing in the way of cans or bottles in its roadside ditches, parks and other places the public gathers.

Anyone who does toss them away is likely putting the money in the pockets of those who collect the containers for some extra cash and to help the environment.

Spend some time in other states and you’ll soon see how well Iowa’s bill works.

Branstad has not taken a position on the Paustian-backed bill yet. But in 2001, he joined then-Gov. Tom Vilsack and former Gov. Ray in calling for an expansion of the program to include water, sport drink, juice and other containers.

The Iowa State Association of Counties, among others, would like to see that happen now. As it is, the association is adamantly opposed to any repeal because county officials believe the law is keeping litter out of rural ditches.

Branstad wants to continue to protect the environment, his spokesman said, and is open to ways to make recyclying easier. He also will consider the job impact of repealing the bill, the spokesman said, adding “any system considered should be as good as or better than the system currently in place.”

We certainly buy that, and buy into the idea of making it easier for Iowans to recycle. We know grocers certainly would.

They have long argued for changes in the bill, saying containers are messy and present a health risk. Claims of health risks have not been substantiated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and other health agencies.

Still, we can sympathize with the grocers, who often get dumped on with huge numbers of containers that likely weren’t purchased at their stores and, in the case of those with recycling machines, have to continually fix the machines because of mechanical problems often caused by abuse.

That’s why we urge Branstad to put on some pressure to improve the system.

Perhaps an increase in the redemption fee of a penny or two would spur more interest in more redemption centers. That extra money might also go to grocers to help them with the redemption chores. But we see little chance for that happening this year.

Another suggestion has been for curbside recycling, but states that use that option have gotten 25 to 30 percent return of the containers compared to 8o to 90 percent in Iowa.

So for now, it’s pretty clear that Iowa should retain its system and that any talk of repeal be stifled.

Iowa’s can-free public places are proof that this law is working. Until something better comes along, it’s a law that needs to stay on the books.

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