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Lawmakers Seek to Expand Bottle Bill

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By GLEN JOHNSON Associated Press

Newer products such as juices and sports drinks may be included in the newest version of the two-decade-old measure.

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BOSTON - More than 20 years after Massachusetts instituted a bottle bill, lawmakers on Beacon Hill are set to consider an expansion that would include newer products such as fruit and sports drink containers in the group subject to a 5-cent-per-bottle deposit.

Environmentalists say it is necessary to reduce litter, but retailers argue it will only add to the hassle both for them and their customers.

Already the state is spending $35 million annually in unclaimed bottle deposits, also raising the question of whether an expanded bottle bill would amount to a backdoor tax hike. The magnitude of unclaimed deposits is expected to grow if consumers pay the charge on an expanded number of bottles.

The proposal is being made in the form of two bills -- one in the House and one in the Senate -- filed by Rep. Doug Petersen, D- Marblehead, and Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr., D-Pittsfield. The Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy scheduled a hearing on them today.

A report by the Department of Revenue released this summer showed that consumers recovered their deposits on only 65.7 percent of the 2.2 billion bottles and cans purchased over the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The percentage was the lowest since the law took effect in 1983, and more than a 20-percent drop from the peak of 87 percent in 1995.

Environmentalists argue that the 766 million containers not returned for their refund either ended up in trash cans or as litter. They say that the same thing is happening with many of the myriad of new containers not covered by the law, which currently applies only to carbonated drinks and beer.

"The bottle bill was last updated 20 years ago. Since that time, there have been a number of changes in the marketplace, from bottled water to the Snapples of the world, and they should be captured by the legislation," said Andrew Schuyler, Nuciforo's chief of staff.

Among the supporters of the legislation is the Sierra Club, saying it will have a positive impact on the environment. A spokesman denied it would create a new tax on consumers, and supported using any unclaimed deposit money for conservation and recycling programs. That was its original purpose, but the legislature redirected the money into the state's general fund when Massachusetts began having financial problems three years ago.

"Those who buy and return beverages, they wind up paying no fee," said Phillip Sego of the Sierra Club. "Those who throw it away -- it costs money. ... The state has to bear the burden of getting rid of that trash."

Among those calling for an outright end to the bottle bill is the Massachusetts Food Association, which represents grocery-store owners. They have complained that collecting the cans is unsanitary and recycling could be accomplished with more aggressive curbside community recycling programs.

While Governor Romney, a Republican, supports the expansion, the bill's prospects in the Democratically controlled legislature remain unclear.

Senate President Robert Travaglini, D-Boston, said yesterday he has no personal opinion on the measure.

But he added: "There are other issues of greater significance that I've been struggling with. I haven't given it much thought. There hasn't been any significant interest conveyed to me in conversation by any of my colleagues. It doesn't seem to be an issue that has gained a significant amount of traction, at least internally in the body."

Source: Providence Journal

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