Environment DEC
From the June 2007 issue
DEC Launches "25 Days for 25 Years" Bottle Bill Anniversary Drive
DEC Region 1 Director Peter Scully and Kasey Jacobs of Citizen's Campaign for the Environment announcing the "25 days for 25 years" campaign on Long Island
With events in Albany, Syracuse and Brookhaven, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis recently kicked-off of the statewide campaign, "25 days for 25 years," a school bottle drive to mark the upcoming twenty-fifth anniversary of the Bottle Bill. During the campaign, DEC will partner with nearly 20 host schools across the state to celebrate the remarkable success of the Bottle Bill and focus students on the importance of recycling in creating a cleaner environment.
Bottle Bill an Unprecedented Success
"By every measure, the Bottle Bill has been an unprecedented success," said Commissioner Grannis. "The law has transformed the way New Yorkers approach litter prevention and recycling, and has created a cleaner, healthier environment. During the '25 days for 25 years' campaign, students across New York will learn about the power of recycling and how we can all make the Bottle Bill even stronger."
Since the Bottle Bill was passed in 1982, roadside litter has been reduced by more than 70 percent, and more than 90 billion deposit containers have been redeemed resulting in the recycling of: 4,250,000 tons of glass; 850,000 tons of plastics, and more than one-million tons of aluminum.
Commissioner Grannis also noted that recycling under the current Bottle Bill has dramatically reduced the manufacturing of plastic and glass, saving 52 million barrels of oil and reducing carbon emissions equivalent to keeping more than 600,000 cars off the road each year. He also noted that expanding the Bottle Bill to include non-carbonated beverage bottles could increase the number of refundable bottles in New York State by more than two billion annually.
Campaign Teaches Multiple Environmental Lessons
Students demonstrate their support for the Bottle Bill and recycling
Students from schools participating in the "25 days for 25 years" campaign will track their recycling progress, placing special emphasis on recycling water bottles and other non-carbonated bottles that are not covered under the current Bottle Bill. They will also learn about how their efforts can impact global warming, the foremost environmental challenge facing our state and our planet.
Each class participating in the campaign will receive a package of materials prepared by DEC, including a colorful class poster, educational materials about recycling, and a recycling activity booklet for each student. As a special thank you, each participating school will receive a book on recycling and a one-year subscription to Conservationist, New York's outdoor magazine, for their library.
The campaign culminates on June 15, 2007, with a statewide celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Bottle Bill's signing.
Officials Call for Legislative Action Before June 21
Saying the clock is running out on the 2007 legislative session, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today joined Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley and environmental advocates at Brookhaven Town Hall to call upon the State Legislature to pass the Bigger Better Bottle Bill before it goes home on June 21.
"Our 25-year old bottle bill is an unqualified success at keeping billions of bottles out of landfills and off our streets as litter," said Governor Eliot Spitzer. "Now, it's time to strengthen and modernize the bottle bill by including new categories of containers-like fruit juices, bottled water, and sports drinks-that barely existed in 1982 when it was passed. I call on the Legislature to adopt these changes now and make a great law even better."
Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, DEC Commisioner Pete Grannis, Town Supervisor Brian Foley and Town Commissioner of Waste Management John Kowalchyk advocate for a the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in Brookhaven
The original Bottle Bill did not anticipate the huge growth in sales of bottled water, iced tea, juice and other non-carbonated beverages. Today, these drinks make up approximately 25 percent of beverage sales. Recent litter surveys have found that non-deposit, non-carbonated beverages make up more than 60 percent of the beverage container litter found on New York shorelines. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill would cover these containers. Under the current law, unredeemed deposits are kept by beverage distributors and manufacturers. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill would require the beverage industry to return these unclaimed nickels to the state, to be used for important environmental programs, such as land preservation, recycling and water quality. Commissioner Grannis said that more than $100 million in additional funding could be available for important environmental initiatives across Long Island and throughout New York State as a result of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.
"After 25 years, the Bottle Bill needs a tune up," said Commissioner Grannis. "The only question we should ask is whether the Bigger Better Bottle Bill will improve our communities and our environment. The answer is a resounding yes, and the time to act is right now."
More Information
Schools looking for information on how to increase awareness of the benefits of recycling in their communities should contact DEC's Bureau of Solid Waste, Reduction and Recycling at 518-402-8705. A list of host schools for the campaign can be found in the complete press release from which this story was excerpted.
