Explaining the Bottle Bill
Bottle bill opponents call deposit requirements a “tax” fronted by taxpayers. However, one-way, throwaway, no-deposit, no-return beverage containers are a corporate subsidy, a hidden tax. Taxpayers absorb the cost of disposing of beverage containers. And many taxpayers absorb the costs of recycling beverage containers through curbside recycling programs.
When there is a refundable deposit on beverage containers, the consumers (not taxpayers) pay the deposit. The deposit is refunded if the container is returned. And the beverage distributors and bottlers absorb the cost of collection. They then chose whether or not to pass their costs on to their consumers. Because 70 percent or more of the deposit containers are returned, taxpayers pay less for disposal and less for litter pickup and less for curbside recycling.
National Recycling Program
Based on a recent report published by the General Accounting Office on municipal recycling, recycling stakeholders interviewed encouraged, as the second most frequently cited policy option, increasing municipal recycling via adoption of a federal bottle bill. The National Beverage Producer Responsibility Act of 2003 was introduced to the Senate, which referred the bill on November 14 to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The bill was introduced to the Committee three days later by Senator Jeffords (I-VT), but no action has as yet been taken on the bill.
Did You Know?
- Aluminum, discovered in the 1820s, is the most abundant metal on the planet.
- The average lifespan of a recycled aluminum can is 80 to 100 years. It can take 500 years for an aluminum can to degrade in a landfill!
- Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our country’s entire commercial air fleet.
- The oldest known examples of glass are Egyptian beads dating from 12,000 B.C.
- The average lifespan of a glass bottle disposed in a landfill is 1,000,000 years (Yes, one million years!!!). If recycled, a glass bottle can “live” indefinitely!
- Since 1980, the average weight of a glass container has been reduced by more than 10%.
- Plastic soda bottles were first used to package beverages in 1970, but it was not until the 1980s that the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle became widely used. PET is a plastic resin and form of polyester. PET is the type of plastic labeled with the code on or near the bottom of bottles and containers. It is used to package soft drinks, water, juice, peanut butter and household cleaners, among other things. PET is a good choice for packaging because it is inexpensive, lightweight, shatter-resistant, resealable and recyclable.
- The average lifespan of a PET plastic bottle disposed in a landfill is 700 years.
- Recycling a ton of PET containers can save 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
- Examples of products derived from recycled bottles and cans include, but are certainly not limited to:
- Glass – Tile, fiberglass insulation, “glasphalt” for highway construction, home décor
- Aluminum – Baseball bats, pie plates, new soda and beverage containers, aluminum foil, license plates, home décor
- Plastic – Carpet, clothing (t-shirts, shoes, sweaters, coats), luggage, toy
- Bottle Bill Resource Guide, 2007 http://www.bottlebill.org.
- (11/30/1999). "Biannual Report of Beverage Container Sales, Returns, Redemption, and Recycling Rates." California Department of Conservation (DOC)
- (11/30/1999). "Waste and Opportunity: U.S. Beverage Container Recycling Scorecard and Report" Container Recycling Institute (CRI)
- (11/30/1999). "Additional Efforts Could Increase Municipal Recycling. Report No. GAO-07-37." General Accounting Office (GAO)
- Author Unknown. Green Gift Guide, 2007. http://www.greengiftguide.com/begreen_facts.php.
shotchkiss
posted on October 9th, 2007 at 12:29 am
It is meaningless to say that California recycles the most bottles when we also have the largest population. A percentage would be much more appropriate. Because California’s population is the largest we are very likely to have the most of a lot of things - prisoners, divorces, children, teen mothers, garbage, unbrellas, swatches, ect. This does not say anything really about California’s population.
3 Simple Ways Your Recycling Bin will Save You Money | Working For Financial Freedom
posted on October 9th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
[...] sure if your state charges a bottle deposit? Twelve states do, see if your state is one of [...]
manofmackinac
posted on November 28th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Michigan; I believe that our state governments should review previous legislation, etc related to bottle returns. In 1976 Michigan initiated a bottle return (deposit program). This program was beneficial for its day. Now we have many different types of bottled water and bottled drinks. Unless people have an interest in saving our planet…these plastic bottled do not make it to the recycling center, but instead end up in landfills. If there was a deposit placed on each and EVERY plastic bottle container; there would be so many highways, streets, etc clear of at least this portion of waste. Implement a deposit program for all bottles and help get these plastic bottles where they belong…in a bottle return. Thanks so much,
RWZ
Dave Buchanan
posted on November 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am
How come only 11 out 50 states only have a bottle/can recycling program. When I was a kid I used to walk around the out skirts of the city and pick up returnables. After only a few miles of walking and picking up what I could, I would have a handful of change. Glass containers are the worst not to recycle. Broken bottles in the woods on walking trails. These shards of glass injury animals that have no idea what glass is. I don’t mind at all about paying a deposit for bottles and cans because I return them and I also pick as much as I can while out walking. Please consider our next generation and keep recycling, it doesn’t hurt to help…
Deb Q
posted on November 30th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
What is the main resistance of States to impose bottle return bills? What are the costs to impose? What are the logistics?