Bottle Bill Is A Recycled Debate On Beacon Hill
It’s become a familiar question on Beacon Hill in recent years: Should the Bay State expand the bottle bill?
Advocates say including non-carbonated beverage bottles in the five-cent redemption program would dramatically increase the number of bottles recycled, which in turn would cut down on waste going into landfills.
Opponents are worried about what they say amounts to an extra tax on consumers — albeit one they can redeem — and are worried about the cooling effect the proposition could have on consumer spending.
“This is less about recycling and more about revenue,” said Richard Bastien, R-Gardner, who opposes the bill, which is once again being debated in Boston.
An expansion of the bottle bill could bring in an extra $10 million to $20 million to the state’s through unclaimed deposits, according to James McCaffrey, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, which is advocating for the bill. While unclaimed deposits are currently allocated to the state's general fund, the proposed legislation calls for new revenues to be spent on recycling education initiatives.
But he said money is not why environmental groups are pushing for the initiative.
They want to expand the bottle bill because they say it dramatically increases the chances someone will recycle the container.
Press Rewind
The issue seemingly comes up each year, said Ann Dorfman of MassRecycle, a Concord-based organization that advocates for increased recycling and supports the bill.
Massachusetts consumers currently pay a five-cent charge on certain type of bottles, including carbonated soda cans and beer bottles.
Those containers can be turned in at a redemption center, package or convenience store where consumers can redeem their five cents.
With an expanded bottle bill, many more products would be eligible for a five-cent return, including plastic water bottles, teas and sports-drink bottles, for example.
Proponents say bottle bills can more than double the amount of materials recycled. Consumer spending on bottles that are in the program do not normally change, supporters argue.
But Bastien isn’t convinced.
He represents four communities in the Gardner area, including some on the New Hampshire border.
“Do we really need another reason to encourage people to do their shopping north of the border?” he asked. In addition, Bastien said that few people actually take the extra step of redeeming their bottles and cans.
Bastien also sees the issue as a money grab, pointing out that the state gets to collect money that consumers do not, meaning that if bottles are recycled, but not redeemed, that money goes to the state.
But proponents say increasing the amount of bottles that are recycled will be a boon for some businesses.
Strategic Materials, for example, operates a glass recycling plant in Franklin, which would benefit from the bottle bill’s expansion, said David Hudson, vice president of government affairs for the Houston-based company.
“This bottle bill ensures there is more high-quality feed stock to power manufacturing jobs in the state,” Hudson said. “Measures like these keep us from having to import these materials, sometimes from overseas.”
Different Perspectives
It’s not a boon for all businesses, though.
Chris Crowley, executive vice president of Polar Beverages in Worcester, said there would be increased costs associated with expanding the bottle bill that would offset any revenues coming into the state.
Along with more bottles being eligible for a five-cent redemption, the legislation as proposed would also increase the handling fee on redeemable bottles from 2.25 cents to 3.25 cents.
“We are a penny-business,” Crowley said, adding that tripling a fee on bottle makers and distributors would cut into the company’s earning power.
The bill isn’t even needed to encourage recycling, he argued.
Curbside recycling programs, especially ones that charge for trash but keep recycling free, are just as effective but don’t add an extra tax on his industry, he said.
The bill is being considered in committee at Beacon Hill and advocates — which includes 81 co-sponsors — hope the full Legislature will vote on the matter sometime this legislative session, perhaps as soon as the fall.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the increase of the handling fee for bottles, which will rise from 2.25 cents to 3.25 cents. Also, the story should have specified that while unclaimed deposits are currently allocated to the state's general fund, the proposed bill calls for that revenue to be put toward recycling efforts. Also, the legislation is co-sponsored by 81 members of the Legislature.
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