Some states are already winding down their legislative sessions; others are just getting busy. Here's a summary of the latest events.

In North Carolina, HB 315 has been introduced; it would require bottles containing degradable additives to be labeled "Do Not Recycle." A similar bill, SB 298, has been introduced in Alabama. Prospects in both states are very good. The Alabama bill is on the Southeast Recycling Development Council's agenda for its Recycling Legislative Day in Alabama on April 24. NAPCOR encourages members to participate in legislative days to raise the profile of the PET recycling industry.

After a strong showing of recycling industry support for the proposed MD bottle bill, including a letter of support from rPET end-user Shaw, the bill died in committee. Opposition from the beverage industry and from municipal governments is said to have stopped the bill's momentum. The bill's chief sponsor, though, says it will be the subject of further study by the House Environmental Matters Committee.  

The long-awaited report comparing bottle bills to statewide single stream, prepared by DSM Environmental for the State of Vermont, was released in draft form on March 4, 2013. NAPCOR's review of the draft identified many critical errors and flawed assumptions that led to an overstatement of the costs of beverage container deposit systems and an understatement of the costs of statewide single stream. You can read our comments here.

The effort to expand Iowa's bottle bill is underway. Officially launched at a press conference on March 26, the Better Bottle Bill for Iowa campaign is supported by a number of recycling industry and environmental organizations. The press conference  was picked up by many major media outlets, including this one.

The proposed bottle bill in Texas received a hearing in the state's House of Representatives on March 26. Speaking in support were several recycling industry organizations and groups, as well as anti-litter and environmental organizations. Speaking against were the beverage industry, retailers and grocers.

The packaging EPR bill in Rhode Island will have a hearing on April 4.  

You may have seen mention in the trade press of two reports released during the week of March 18 by the American Chemistry Council, Plastics Division. The reports are entitled "Plastic Recycling Collection: National Reach Study: 2012 Update" and "2011 National Postconsumer Non-Bottle Rigid Plastic Recycling Report." Coverage of these reports can be confusing, so we offer here a couple of key points for clarification.