February 2, 2011
Two bottle bills in flux
Two New England states may tinker with their bottle bills, with one state considering outright repeal, and replacement with a comprehensive recycling program, and another looking at a modest expansion meant to bring the container deposit programs in line with the changing beverage industry.
In Vermont, legislators are taking a serious look at the state's 39-year-old bottle bill, and could possibly roll back the law and put a more comprehensive recycling system in its place based on similar programs established in Canada and Europe. According to local media accounts, lawmakers are pondering two bills that would alter the state's beverage container deposit return system.
The first law would expand the scope of the bottle bill to include wine and all non-carbonated drinks except for milk and rice and soy milk. It would also require beverage manufacturers and distributors to direct any unclaimed container deposits they collect to a state fund that would provide grants and loans to businesses in solid waste or recycling with the goal of creating more green jobs. Additionally, the legislation would mandate that manufacturers implement a plan to collect, transport, recycle and dispose of certain products designated by the Green Mountain State's Agency of Natural Resources.
A second bill would repeal the almost-four-decade-old bottle bill, and require producers to set up and pay for a new more comprehensive recycling collection system for the entire state. Proponents of the bill said that similar legislation has worked well in Europe and Canada, and would be the first of its kind in the U.S., according to The Burlington Free Press.
The paper reports that the beverage container lobby leans toward the second bill, quoting a representative as saying that the current bottle bill is inefficient, and the proposed legislation would cover a great deal more waste. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group supports the law creating a producer-financed curbside recycling program, but doesn't see why it can't run alongside the current bottle bill, according to the paper.
Another New England state is also considering reworking its bottle bill as well. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has proposed expanding the state's deposit container system in order to generate needed revenue to balance the budget. If the Democratic Governor has his way, the nickel deposit will apply to bottles of water, sports drinks, juices and other non-carbonated beverages that have proliferated since the bottle bill was passed in 1982.
Patrick claims that the expansion will bring $20 million into state coffers, annually. These revenues would be used for recycling, and water and sewer relief rate. The Sun Chronicle quotes the president of the Massachusetts Food Association opposing the bill, saying that statewide curbside collection would be more effective.
http://resource-recycling.com/node/911
