How to Fix NY’s ‘Bigger Better Bottle Bill’

Groovy Green has reposted a great article by Daniel T. Weaver of the Daily Gazette about how to make New York state’s bottle deposit program work for everyone – states, environmentalists and soft drink companies. New York currently has a 5 cent deposit on all soft drinks, and unclaimed deposits are kept by the soft drink companies. Many New Yorkers support a ‘bigger, better bottle bill’ that would include bottled water, sports drinks, tea and other beverages, but the bill has failed consistently over the last several years.

Dan’s suggestion? Raise the deposit fee to 25 cents. Oh yeah, and to the environmentalists of the state: stop trying to grab the unclaimed profits for yourselves.

From Groovy Green:

The proposed legislation goes too far in some areas and not far enough in others. Let me explain. First, the bill does not include the large plastic beverage cups that people get from fast food restaurants and convenient markets. I find these along my road all of the time. Secondly, the bill does not increase the amount of the deposit on returnable bottles and cans. The amount has been a nickel for twenty-five years. Most people won’t bend over to pick a nickel off the ground, and the nickel’s lack of value accounts for the many cans and bottles that are thrown out of car windows, left on beaches, etc.

The legislation requires that all unredeemed deposits be turned over to the State Environmental Protection Fund. Currently the beverage industry keeps the money, which totals more than 100 million dollars each year.

Dan points out that at 25 cents per bottle, there would be very few unclaimed bottles. That means far less bottles littering the roads, beaches and other areas of New York. The state currently only has a 70.2% return rate on bottles. So the income from unclaimed bottles would be far less for beverage companies, but as Dan suggests, compromising with them might help the legislation get through.

We like this idea for a lot of reasons, and think it should go nationwide. Charge people extra for beverages that come in a bottle or a can, and they’ll think twice about throwing it in the trash. More will be recycled and homeless people will be able to earn more. The caveat? People might buy far fewer canned and bottled beverages in the first place, which is probably exactly what soft drink companies are afraid of. Thus, the lobbying that prevents the bill from being passed. But still, good call Dan – and thanks Groovy Green for picking this up!

Link [Groovy Green] + [The Daily Gazette]
Photo credit: Flickr user judepics

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