Back in 1971 there was a lot of concern
about littering Vermont's highways and byways. A major component of
the litter was discarded beverage bottles that were tossed from
moving cars. Governor Deane C. Davis and the legislature addressed
the problem by passing the “Bottle Bill” in 1972 which
established a 5 cent refundable deposit on bottles and eventually
cans. This system has worked effectively ever since to promote
recycling of these items. According to the Vermont Public Interest
Research Group (VPIRG), more than 80% of returnable bottles and cans
are redeemed today. However, 45 years later beverage container
recycling is still a subject in the legislature.
Here's how the system currently works.
The beverage industry manages the deposit system. Consumers pay the
retailer a 5 cent deposit which they get back when the container is
redeemed. The beverage distributor(s) then pay the redemption
location 8.5 cents per container. The deposits for the 15% of
containers that are never redeemed are retained by the distributors
to the tune of about $2M per year. The distributors also recycle the
aluminum, plastic and glass for their value as raw materials. While
aluminum and plastic are valuable materials, it costs money to
collect, transport and recycle the glass.
There are currently two bills that have
been introduced this year dealing with beverage containers, H.67 and
H.173. H.67 would extend the current deposit system to water bottles
and all other beverage containers except for milk and milk
substitutes, and it would require the unclaimed deposits to be
remitted to the state to support our solid waste system. Wine and
liquor as well as uncarbonated beverages would be included.
On the other hand H.173, which I
introduced, takes a different approach. I proposed H.173 primarily
for discussion purposes to re-examine our 45 year old bottle
recycling strategy. The committee process of the Vermont legislature
allows for a pretty detailed examination of proposals with an
opportunity to hear from many perspectives. Because Act 148 of 2012
mandates recycling throughout Vermont, H.173 would eliminate the
deposit system entirely and place a 5 cent non-refundable fee on all
glass beverage containers. My reasoning is fourfold:
1. Since the valuable aluminum and
plastic are diverted from our solid waste stream by the deposit
system, a significant revenue source for our solid waste districts is
eliminated.
2. Glass recycling already imposes a
loss on our solid waste districts because the value of the glass is
lower than the cost of collecting, transporting and processing it.
3. The extra 3.5 cents that the
beverage distributors pay the redemption centers as well as the cost
to handle and transport the containers is built into the price of the
beverage. This additional cost is somewhat mitigated by the $2M left
with the beverage distributors. This complex handling system would be
simplified by my bill.
4. The 5 cent fee on glass containers
in H.173 would be remitted directly from the retailer to the state's
Solid Waste Assistance Fund which supports certain programs of the
solid waste districts. This would also eliminate the middleman, the
distributors, from the recycling stream.
Both bills are in the House Natural
Resources, Fish & Wildlife Committee which will consider their
merits based on testimony from solid waste districts, the beverage
industry, environmental organizations such as VPIRG, and groups that
rely on the deposit system for fundraising. With changing times, the
greater acceptance of recycling, and the positive effects of Act 148,
I think it is worth revisiting the strategy for recycling beverage
containers. I will support either bill or a hybrid that the Committee
might approve.
I encourage you to let me know your
concerns and opinions. I can be reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by
email (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com).
