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UPDATED BOTTLE BILL FACTS
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House Bill 3515 & Senate Bill 1480 would :
(a.) expand the bottle bill to include
water, sports drinks, flavored teas, juices, and other on the go beverages.
(b.) reestablish the Clean Environment Fund, taking forfeited deposits
and using these funds to improve recycling and other environmental projects
(c.) provide an industry-paid slight increase to redemption centers, who
have not had a raise in 18 years. This
bill would not increase the deposit, and would not cost the state any money.
The purpose of the bill is to reduce litter, increase recycling, and help municipalities
reduce collection and cleanup fees. There are no other bottle bill updates
currently being considered by the legislature.
Endorsed by: MMA, Metro Mayors Coalition, Over 130
Municipalities - and Just About Every Environmental Group in the State.
Enacting the update would save our cities and towns significant amounts, from
lowering disposal costs, litter collection costs, and storm drain cleaning,
which are frequently blocked by littered containers.
Increases Recycling Rates: Approximately 80% of
bottle-bill-covered beverages are redeemed/recycled. Only 22% of NON-redeemable
beverages are recycled.
Complements Curbside Recycling: Curbside is very
effective for beverages consumed at home. But the majority of single-serving
containers are consumed on-the-go, out of curbside's reach
Decrease Landfill Use:The state is running out of
landfill space. The 1 billion containers that we send to landfills every year
would fill Fenway Park to overflowing.
Saves Energy, Saves Oil:Most of the containers under
the update are made of PET, 99% of which is petroleum. Recycled PET is badly
needed for textiles. Had these bottles been recycled, we would have saved the
energy equivalent of about 48,000 barrels of oil.
Strong Public Support:The public is very supportive
of the bottle bill, seeing the positive effect that it's had on the
environment.
Producer Responsibility: Bearing the cost of a
product's waste should be the responsibility of beverage producers and
consumers, not taxpayers and communities. The bottle bill is a model for this
kind of sustainable financing.
Creates Green Jobs: Gains in employment have been
shown in nearly every state that updates their deposit system. Many of these
jobs come in the recycling sector, which now produces important - and
sustainable - raw materials to be used in manufacturing.
Keeps Current With Consumer Habits:The original
bottle bill was never meant to be non-reactive to consumer trends. Now that 1/3
of our containers are not covered by the 27-year old law, we need to update it.
Revenue Positive for the State:Unclaimed deposits
are maintained by the state. The cost of updating the bottle will not require
any funding.
Supports the Redemption Centers:The bill includes
provisions to increase the handling fee (not paid by the state). These small,
often families owned business have not had an increase in handling fees in 18
years. They are currently experiencing huge increases in operating costs; many
of them have been forced to close.
Provides Relief for Small Stores:The update allows
small stores to opt out of taking returns if there's a nearby redemption
center.
No Additional Costs for Supermarkets:Almost all large supermarkets have more than enough
capacity in their "reverse vending machines" to accept the increase in containers.
Neither additional machines nor floorspace would be required.
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