Will,
When the current Massachusetts nickle Bottle Bill was enacted into law in 1982 the smallest bottled water container was probably one gallon. Today our playgrounds, parks, and roadways are littered with pint-size water bottles and 1982’s nickle is probably worth a penny or two. An update of the Bottle Bill is long overdue. It needs to cover more types of bottles and the deposit should be raised to a dime (but that bit of common sense is probably too much to ask for). According to the Sierra Club “there are only a few weeks left before the bottle bill needs to move out of its first committee or the bill will die . . . (an) updated Bottle Bill would expand our container deposit system to include non-carbonated beverages such as water, iced tea, juice, and sports drinks. It would decrease litter – and increase recycling. An amazing 80% of beverages that are covered by the bottle bill are redeemed/recycled. But sadly, only 22% of non-deposit containers are recycled. The rest become litter, or are thrown in the trash. Updating our Bottle Bill will boost recycling, save our communities the cost associated with disposal and litter cleanup, and conserve valuable resources.”
Thanks, Mike. I am a cosponsor of the Bottle Bill.
I remain supportive and will certainly vote for it if it comes to the floor.
The bill is foundering this year, as it has in the past, on the perception that it imposes increased costs on consumers. Many will agree that bottle deposits are not really costs, but so far, it seems an uphill push.