Letter to the editor

Bottle bill is an expensive, ineffectual law

IN RESPONSE to the Globe’s Feb. 4 editorial “Bottle bill: Fighting litter is reason enough’’: Why does the paper continue to support an archaic, expensive, and ineffectual law?

Forget that the Globe and the administration are disingenuous in supporting the governor’s budget amendment expanding the bottle law so that the state can generate $20 million (they hope) in unclaimed nickels. It’s bad public policy for the state to knowingly realize revenue from a failed law, in which the state only gets the money when consumers don’t redeem containers.

Forget the fact that the governor is ignoring a promise not to raise taxes. And let’s not kid anyone: A budget measure that raises money from the public to support government services is a tax.

Bottom line: This is an ineffective measure to increase recycling or reduce litter. Only programs that have a comprehensive strategy really work. Consider that beverage containers represent less than 2 percent of the litter stream, and by concentrating on just these containers, we leave fast-food containers, cigarette butts, coffee cups, lottery tickets, newspapers, and other trash on the street.

It is a short-sighted approach.

Christopher P. Flynn President Massachusetts Food Association Boston

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2011/02/09/bottle_bill_is_an_expensive_ineffectual_law/