Environment DEC
From the March 2009 issue
Support for Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill Encouraged
Commissioner Grannis urges support for the Bigger Better Bottle Bill at the capitol building in Albany.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis has urged support of the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill," saying it would reduce litter, keep millions of containers out of our landfills, help fight global warming and generate badly needed revenue. Since the original Bottle Bill was enacted in 1982 requiring a five-cent deposit on beer and carbonated drinks, roadside litter has been reduced 70 percent. More than 90 billion containers and 6 million tons of glass, aluminum and plastic have been recycled, resulting in saving more than 50 million barrels of oil and eliminating 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases
In his 2009-10 Executive Budget, Governor David A. Paterson proposed expanding the law to apply to non-carbonated beverages. When the original bill was enacted, non-carbonated drinks comprised only a small portion of overall beverage sales, but today, they represent more than 25 percent of sales. Most of the non-deposit containers wind up in landfills, incinerators or as unsightly litter. A 2005 study found that only 16 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled, compared to 80 percent of plastic soda bottles.
Aside from the obvious environmental benefit, an updated bottle bill would help create thousands of jobs as redemption centers grow and expand. In addition, the proposed newer bill would allow the state rather than beverage manufacturers to receive any unclaimed deposits--a potentially significant amount of revenue.
