Mass State Secretary Rules that the Bottle Bill Has Enough Signatures for 2014 Ballot

Boston, MA- With the Secretary of State’s office making it official, the Campaign to Update the Bottle Bill announced that its initiative petition qualified today with well over the required amount of signatures.  The top signer of the petition, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said: “This is an important day for the City of Boston and for the entire Commonwealth. The passage of this bill will help clean up our neighborhoods, expand recycling, and save cities and towns money at a time when we need it the most."

The Secretary of State’s office issued a letter saying the petition had garnered a total of 94,950 certified signatures, more than 35% of the required 68,911 to qualify. “While an initiative petition drive is never easy,” commented Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG, “collecting signatures for this bill, which is so widely supported by the public and so long delayed by the Legislature, felt like making a touchdown.”

The bill, which would place a five cent deposit on beverage containers like water, sports drinks, and iced teas, has been pending in the Legislature for approximately a decade. “So many people have called this bill a ‘no brainer’,” said Ryan Black of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, “because they all know what a big improvement this bill would be for our environment.”

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, a key organization in the petition drive, deployed members all across the state. “This issue knows no boundaries,” said Lynn Wolbarst of Sharon. “Our League members in Amherst and Gloucester are as enthusiastic as those in Martha’s Vineyard.”

The petition drive succeeded with help from many local and state organizations, including the Environmental League of MA, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and the West Boylston Solid Waste Action Team, among others.

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Bottle Bill Advocates Turn in Double the Needed Signatures

Press Release

Supporters of a ballot Initiative to update the state’s Bottle Deposit Law gathered on the steps of the Secretary of State’s office today to announce that they collected almost double the number of signatures needed to qualify for the November 2014 ballot.

“From Salem to Stockbridge, from North Adams to New Bedford, we have signatures and support from citizens of every single one of the state’s 351 cities and towns,” said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. “It’s hard to find someone who objects to reducing litter and increasing recycling.”

Although certification requires 68,911 valid signatures, the Updated Bottle Bill campaign gathered over 130,000 signatures, which is nearly double what is needed. “I carried two clipboards most of the time, to keep up with the crowds who wanted to sign,” said Andrew Fish, field coordinator for the petition drive and MASSPIRG associate.

The state’s bottle bill, the nickel deposit on soda, was originally passed by the state legislature over 30 years ago. The most successful recycling system in the state by far, the deposit covers only carbonated beverages, as those drinks were what was consumed when the original bill passed. Now water, juices, and sports drinks are rapidly taking over the marketplace, and there has been a sharp increase in litter of those types of containers. Recycling rates of soda bottles and cans, covered by the 5¢ deposit is nearly 80%, but only 23% of water, juice, and other non-covered beverages are recycled. Legislation to update the law has been pending on Beacon Hill for almost a decade. Earlier this year, supporters decided to take the proposal directly to the public.

This citizen-driven effort was spearheaded by a broad coalition of the state’s environmental, civic and advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, MASSPIRG, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, the South Shore Recycling Cooperative, and the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts have been gathering signatures statewide. “We originally hoped to get 100,000 signatures, however we met with so much success and positive feedback, that we just kept going,” said Lynn Wolbarst of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts.

Now with 130,000 signatures turned in – more than 105,000 of which were certified by city and town clerks-- attention will turn back to the Legislature, which has several months to act on this bill before it heads to the November 2014 ballot.

“It defies logic, why the Legislature has sat on such a popular, common sense, and money-saving bill for so many years,” noted Janet Domenitz of MASSPIRG. “Maybe this overwhelming signature drive will finally get the message to them to pass this bill.”
“Big business opponents have already started their ‘trash talk,’ calling this proposal a ‘tax,’” commented Ken Pruitt of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “The public isn’t going to swallow that nonsense.”

“It’s about litter and recycling,” added Ryan Black of the Sierra Club.  “There’s no other system that even comes close to having the same success.”

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Bottle Bill Makes #mapoli's GIF of the Day!

Coalition to Update the Bottle Bill Files for 2014 Ballot

Press Release

BOSTON, MA – Advocates for updating the state’s bottle deposit law announced today (8/7/2013) that they are filing a ballot initiative known as the Updated Bottle Bill. This proposed law would add water, juice, sports drinks and other beverages to the existing nickel deposit law. When this measure becomes law, there will be less litter, more recycling, and millions of taxpayer dollars saved in the reduced cost of waste disposal in our cities and towns.

Advocates have been trying to get the Legislature to pass this bill for nearly ten years.  Citing that an update for the 30-year old law is long overdue, the advocates have noted the law’s proven success in reducing litter in our parks, and on our beaches and roadways. It has increased our recycling and reduced the cost of waste disposal for taxpayers in our cities and towns.

Among the initial signers to the ballot question include Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston, Mayor Lisa Wong of Fitchburg, leaders of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, MASSPIRG, Massachusetts Sierra Club and other prominent organizations. Over 200 cities and towns in the Commonwealth have passed resolutions in support of the update as well.

Surveys have shown that the bill is extremely popular with the public. According to a statewide poll conducted by MassINC Polling Group, 77% of Massachusetts residents support an update of the bottle bill. Many businesses and civic leaders support the update; including Governor Deval Patrick, Governor Michael Dukakis, State Senator Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) and State Representative Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), as well as bill sponsors State Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) and State Representative Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown). Over 300 businesses have endorsed the effort, as well as a coalition that includes over 100 organizations, including Mass Municipal Association, League of Women Voters, Charles River Conservancy, Audubon Society, and many more.

“This bill makes sense for the public, and filing it as a ballot question after years of trying to pass it in the Legislature reinforces that the citizens’ voice can and will be heard,” said Ryan Black, Director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club.

Legislature Drops the Ball, Rejects Bottle Bill Update

Press Release

Today, the Legislature dropped the ball once again, as the final FY14 budget was reported out of the budget conference committee without the Updated Bottle Bill in it. The Senate had voted unanimously to include the Updated Bottle Bill in its version of the FY14 budget,  and while the House never considered it in their budget,  76 members of the House are cosponsors of the bill. But when the  budget conference committee--which meets behind closed doors and does not record individual votes--was finished resolving the differences between the House and Senate budgets, the Updated Bottle Bill was not included.

"The conference committee snatched defeat from the jaws of victory," commented Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. "The Updated Bottle Bill is wildly popular with the public, with over 100 organizations, with 208 cities and towns, with 350 small businesses. The Legislature had a chance to make this bill law and they ignored it."

The Updated Bottle Bill, which would add a nickel deposit to beverage containers such as water and sports drinks, has been pending in the Legislature for several years. The single most effective recycling tool in the state, the current bill, which has been on the books since the early 80's, reduces container litter by 80%. "As beach season gets underway, it's a dramatic reminder of how much litter and trash we could get rid of if we simply put that nickel deposit on more beverages," said Ryan Black of the Sierra Club, another Updated Bottle Bill supporter. "Our environment would be cleaner and healthier if we could recycle more of these plastic bottles which are trashing our ocean, our parks, and our open spaces,"added Ken Pruitt of the Environmental League of MA. The coalition pushing this bill includes the League of Women Voters, the South Shore Recycling Cooperative, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and over 90 other local and statewide groups. The coalition will continue to vigorously pursue this long overdue reform.

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State Senate Passes Bottle Bill Update

Press Release
May 22, 2013

In a move long awaited by 77% of the public in Massachusetts, the state Senate overwhelmingly voted for an amendment to the state budget on Wednesday evening which would update the state’s nickel deposit system, also known as the Bottle Bill, to include water, sports drinks, and flavored teas.

“With all the complex legislation we have to consider in such tough fiscal times, it’s great to have a bill that’s such a winner,” said Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem of Newton, a chief sponsor of the measure.

If the House also passes the amendment, and it’s signed into law, Massachusetts would catch up with Maine, Connecticut, and New York, all of which added more containers to their deposit laws over the past several years. Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Tom Menino, and the Mass. Municipal Association are among the longtime supporters of this measure.

“Right now, taxpayers are footing the bill to deal with these non-carbonated beverage containers, which I see all over our streets and in our parks,” said Sen. Robert Hedlund of Weymouth, another chief sponsor. “Including these containers in our state’s bottle bill makes good fiscal and environmental sense.”

“It’s high time to update the Bottle Bill,” said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. “We’ve been pushing for this update for a long time, but the bottlers and big beverage industry lobbyists have been pushing back. We are now optimistic that with the support of the Senate, and Governor Patrick, the House will move quickly to adopt this amendment.”

Over 90 organizations, including the Environmental League of MA, Mass Audubon, the Garden Club Federation of MA, the League of Women Voters/MA, South Shore Recycling Cooperative, and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy as well as 208 cities in towns support updating the bottle for its potential to increase recycling, reduce litter, and save cities and towns money in litter pickup and trash disposal costs. Over the past several years, tens of thousands of postcards, emails, phone calls, and letters have been sent to legislators from citizens around the state, urging passage.

“Public support for an update to the bottle bill is huge, and has been building every year,” said Ryan Black, director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. “People are truly tired of the waste and the litter.”

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Bottle Bill Amendment filed by Sen. Creem, widely supported by State Senate

On Friday, May 17, 2013, Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, along with Sen. Bob Hedlund, Michael Barrett, Pat Jehlen, Katherine Clark, Karen Spilka and Sonia Chang-Diaz, Dan Wolf, Jamie Eldridge, Will Brownsberger, and Kenneth Donnelly filed an amendment to the proposed Massachusetts Senate Budget which would update the state's bottle bill to include non-carbonated beverages. The text of the amendment is below.


Amendment No. 222
Updating the Bottle Bill

Ms. Creem and Messrs. Hedlund and Barrett and Ms. Jehlen, Ms. Clark, Ms. Spilka and Ms. Chang-Diaz and Messrs. Wolf, Eldridge, Brownsberger and Donnelly moved that the bill be amended by inserting, after section __, the following new section:-

SECTION __. Section 1. Section 321 of chapter 94 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “carbonated soft drinks” the following words:- “and noncarbonated non-alcoholic beverages in liquid form intended for human consumption, except beverages that are primarily derived from dairy products, infant formula, and FDA-approved medicines.”

Section 2. Paragraph 3 of said section 321 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- This definition shall not include containers made of paper-based biodegradable material and aseptic multi-material packaging.

Section 3. Said section 321 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Plastic bottle” the following definition:- “Redemption Center”, any business whose primary purpose is the redemption of beverage containers and which is not ancillary to any other business,

Section 4. Said section 321 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Reusable beverage container” the following definition:- “Small dealer”, any person or business, including any operator of a vending machine, who engages in the sale of beverages in beverage containers to consumers in the commonwealth, with a contiguous retail space of 3,000 square feet or less, exclusive of office and stock room space; and fewer than four (4) locations under the same ownership within the Commonwealth.

“Redemption Facility” any person or business who engages in the refund of deposits for beverage containers as described herein.

Section 5. Section 322 of said chapter 94, is hereby amended by inserting after section 322 the following sections:-

Section 322A: The Secretary shall review the refund value as referenced in section 322 every five (5) years and increase said amount to reflect the Consumer Price Index as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, but in no case shall the refund value be less than five (5) cents.

Section 322B: The Secretary shall promulgate regulations which establish maximum acceptable container size.

Section 6. Section 323 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting before the first sentence of paragraph (e) the following sentence:- The executive office of environmental affairs shall promulgate rules and regulations for the licensure of redemption centers, and may set fees for such licensing.

Section 7. Paragraph (c) of said section 323 of said chapter 94 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “one cent” and inserting in place thereof the words “three and one half cents” and by adding the following sentence:- The handling fee shall be reviewed every four (4) years by the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs and adjustments made to reflect the Consumer Price Index as reported by the US Department of Labor as well as industry-specific increases or decreases in costs incurred by redemption facilities.

Section 8. Paragraph (d) of said section 323 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “one cent” and inserting in place thereof the words “three and one half cents” and by adding the following sentence:-

The handling fee shall be reviewed every four 4 years by the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs and adjustments made to reflect the Consumer Price Index as reported by the US Department of Labor as well as industry-specific increases or decreases in costs incurred by redemption facilities.

Section 9. Said section 323 of said chapter 94, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “civil”, , in subsection (i) the words “or administrative”.

Section 10. Said chapter 94 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 323E the following section:-

Section 323F. (a) There shall be established on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Clean Environment Fund. Amounts to be deposited in said Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, for programs including but not limited to projects supporting the proper management of solid waste, water resource protection, parkland, urban forestry, air quality and climate protection; provided, however, that no funds shall be used for costs associated with incineration nor any process which disposes of solid waste by combustion or conversion to combustion fuels.

Section 11. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall, on or before January 1, 2014, promulgate regulations providing small dealers as defined herein with the right to seek exemptions from accepting empty deposit containers. Said regulations shall consider at least the health and safety of the public; the convenience for the public, including standards governing distribution of centers by population or by distance or both, the size and storage capacity of the dealer(s) to be served by the redemption center and the size and storage capacity of the redemption center. The order approving a local redemption center license must state the dealers to be served and the kinds, sizes and brand names of empty beverage containers that the center accepts.

Section 12. Section 323 of Chapter 94 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding in subsection(i) after the first instance of the word “twenty-seven.” the following:— At each location where persons tender containers for redemption, dealers and redemption centers shall conspicuously display a sign in letters that are at least one inch in height with the following information:— “WARNING: Any person who tenders to a dealer, distributor, redemption center or bottler more than ten cases of twenty-four empty beverage containers each, which he knows or has reason to know were not originally sold in the commonwealth as filled beverage containers, for the purpose of obtaining a refund value or handling fee, shall be subject to a civil penalty of the greater of one hundred dollars for each container or twenty-five thousand dollars for each tender of containers. (G.L. c. 94).

Section 13. Section 327 of said chapter 94 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following paragraphs:—

The department of environmental protection may enforce the provisions of section 321; paragraphs (a) through (f), inclusive, of section 322; paragraph (i) of section 323; section 323A; section 323F; section 324 and section 325. Any bottler, distributor, redemption center, or dealer who violates any of the foregoing provisions shall be subject to an administrative penalty for each violation of not more than $1,000.

The department of revenue may enforce the provisions of paragraphs (g) and (h) of section 323 and sections 323B to 323E, inclusive. Any bottler, distributor, redemption center, or dealer who violates any of the foregoing provisions shall be subject to an administrative penalty for each violation of not more than $1,000.

Section 14. Said section 327 of said chapter 94 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “civil”, in line 14, the words “or administrative”.

Section 15. This act shall take effect on April 22, 2014.

Event: Sat. 4/6, 7pm - The Battle for the Bottle Bill

Join Jimmy Tingle
With the Sierra Club, MASSPIRG, MassAudubon, Environmental League of Mass. Emerald Necklace, Surfrider Massachusetts Chapter, Mass Climate Action Network, South Shore Recycling Cooperative, for

"THE BATTLE FOR THE BOTTLE BILL"
Comedy, Conversation, Music, and ACTION!
A Rally to Increase Recycling!


Sat. April 6th, 7pm

The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, MA

"Here's my empty water bottle- give me a nickel!!!"


CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

Hi Folks,
We need action on this issue!! The Bottle Bill Update legislation has been stalled and blocked by some of our elected officials for some 16 years! World War II only took 4 years!

Join us on Saturday April 6th at 7pm for some great comedy, music and conversation as we rally to push for passage of an updated Bottle Bill.

What is the "Updated" Bottle Bill, you ask?

The Bottle Bill has been around for 30 years, and it is by far the state's most effective recycling and litter control program. It's a great bill, BUT it doesn't cover water, tea, or other non-carbonated beverages. That's what we're pushing for on April 6th - an expanded Bottle Bill!

The Battle for the Bottle Bill started for me last July during this curbside "debate" at The Statehouse. I was outnumbered 2 to 1, but so what! Check it out!

FEATURING
Your Comedic Host & Producer
Jimmy Tingle

Interviews & conversation with
Phil Sego of the Sierra Club
Janet Domenitz of MASSPIRG
State Senator Bob Hedlund, (R-Weymouth)
State Senator Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington)
State Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington)
Revere Activist Christine Pierannunzi
Audience Q&A

Saturday, April 6th, 2013 7:00PM - 9:00PM
The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St. Arlington, MA

$15 General Admission ($20 day of)
$10 Students & Seniors
$25 Meet & Greet with cash bar
and complimentary appetizers at
"Not Your Average Joe's"

We'll be filming the show for cable access television, and will host on the internet.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

Why the Bottle Bill Update?

It will decrease litter and increase recycling.
It is endorsed by 208 cities and towns.
It is supported by 77% of voters.
It helps cities and towns with litter/disposal costs; The State estimates that cities and towns will save approximately $7 million total in these costs once the update passes.
It complements curbside recycling, reaching the on-the-go beverages that curbside cannot. For example, curbside recycling recycles only 22% of water bottles, but the bottle bill brings in 80% of deposit bottles like Coke and Pepsi.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.massbottlebill.org 

ABOUT THE REGENT THEATRE

The historic Regent Theatre, conveniently located at 7 Medford Street (just off Mass. Ave.) in Arlington Center, is MBTA and handicap accessible with free parking in the municipal lot across the street. Beer & wine will be available to those 21 and over with Proper I.D. For directions and more info visit www.RegentTheatre.com or call 781-646-4849.


CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

Hearing for handling fee: Wed, March 13, 11:00-2:00 PM

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), under its authority pursuant to M.G.L. c. 94 Section 321 - 326, and in conformance with M.G.L. c.30A, will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Provisions for Recycling of Beverage Containers regulations at 301 CMR 4.00. The proposed change is a revision to 301 CMR 4.05 (4) proposing to change the handling fee for bottles from 2.25 cents/beverage container to 3.25 cents/beverage container.

A public hearing will be conducted on the following date at the following location to receive comments on the proposed revisions. Testimony may be presented orally or in writing at the hearing. Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 11:00 - 2:00 PM 100 Cambridge Street 2nd Floor Conference Room A Boston, MA 02114 Written testimony will be accepted from the opening of the comment period on Friday, February 1, 2013 until 5 P.M. Friday, March 22, 2013.

Written testimony should be submitted via email to Daniel.Sieger@state.ma.us or mailed to: Dan Sieger, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114. Copies of the proposed regulations are available on the EEA website at http://www.mass.gov/eea/ or may be obtained by calling Dan Sieger at 617-626-1172. For special accommodations for this event or to obtain this information in an alternative format, you may contact Barbara Nobles Crawford, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, ADA coordinator, at 617-626-1161, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114. By the order of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard K. Sullivan Jr. (February 4)

Statement on Proposal to Increase the Bottlers’ Handling Fee

Statement from the Campaign to Update the Bottle Bill on Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan’s Proposal to Increase the Bottlers’ Handling Fee

February 1, 2013

We applaud EOEEA Secretary Rick Sullivan’s proposed regulations to increase the bottle bill handling fee. Bottle redemption centers, small family-owned businesses that are a key part of making the bottle bill work, haven’t had a raise in the 2.25 cent handling fee for over 20 years. As a result, many of these small businesses have been forced to close.

The handling fee has nothing to do with the 5-cent deposit paid by and returned to consumers when they purchase beverages under the Bottle Bill.  The handling fee is what the bottling industry pays redemption centers, grocery stores, and other businesses for collecting and transporting bottles and cans for recycling.  Somehow, the bottlers have gotten away with paying the same fee to the recycling handlers for over 20 years, in contrast to the huge increase in the beverage prices they've charged consumers since then.

We anticipate the bottling industry will try to scare the public with claims that this one penny increase in the recycling handling fee will result in higher prices to consumers. Whatever the bottlers say about this proposal to raise their handling fee, the facts are important:  Consumers in the New England states that don’t have deposit laws at all (NH and RI) pay the same or higher prices for beverages that Massachusetts and other deposit law states (VT, ME, CT) pay.  When the handling fee for bottlers goes from 2.25 cents to 3.25 cents as we hope it does soon, consumers’ prices should not change. Thanks to a recent  study by the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection, we know that all claims about bottle bills making beverages more expensive are false. Visit here to see the study: www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/bottleca.htm. The handling fee is part of what makes this successful law work, and raising the handling fee one penny is a small price for bottlers to pay for the cost of recycling the 3.3 billion bottles that the industry produces and profits from.

We hope that Secretary Sullivan’s proposal, a welcome and necessary one, will give even more momentum to our coalition’s effort to pass an update to the Bottle Bill in the legislature.  Containers without the 5 cent deposit, like water, sports drinks, vitamin beverages and iced teas, are becoming more popular, and  creating more litter on our ballfields, in our parks, and at our beaches.  Updating the bottle bill, which would get that 5 cent deposit on these everyday beverages, would reduce litter, increase recycling, and save cities and towns money in litter pick up and disposal costs.

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Updated Bottle Bill Builds Steam: Two Big Developments Give Advocates Momentum

Press Release

In a sign that the Updated Bottle Bill has more support on Beacon Hill than ever before, the final tally of cosponsors in the Legislature included the highest number the bill has ever garnered.  When the official cosponsor period ended on Friday at midnight, the bill had a majority of state senators, a majority of freshmen, and a total of 95 cosponsors: 75 in the House and 20 in the Senate.  “The fact that we have 10% more cosponsors in the House (there were 66 in 2011), and a majority of freshman (10 of 16), signals that this bill has more momentum than ever before,” commented Representative Jon Hecht, the chief sponsor in the House. “The fact that we have a majority of Senators cosponsoring this bill just underscores the message from the Senate—a body which passed the Updated Bottle Bill in May, 2012—that this bill would be the right solution for the Commonwealth,” added Senator Cynthia Creem, the Senate’s chief sponsor.

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, the Updated Bottle Bill passed through the Senate in May but never made it to the House floor before the end of the session on July 31. Meanwhile, advocates estimate another 1 billion containers ended up as litter, landfill, or incinerator ash over the course of 2012. “Every day this bill languishes is another day of littered parks, overstressed town dumps, and maybe most importantly, the public’s well-being ignored,” said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. “We know how popular this bill is with the public; we need the Legislature to finally respond.”

Giving the measure even more momentum, on Friday, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan proposed an increase in the bottle bill handling fee.  This handling fee (which has nothing to do with the 5-cent deposit) is what the bottling industry pays redemption centers, grocery stores, and other businesses for collecting and transporting bottles and cans for recycling.

For years, bottle redemption centers, small, family-owned businesses that are a key part of making the bottle bill work, have been asking for an increase in this fee, which has stood at 2.25 cents for over 20 years. As a result of inaction, many bottle redemption centers have gone out of business.

“Whatever the bottlers say about this proposal to raise their handling fee, the facts are important:  consumers in the New England states that don’t have deposit laws (NH and RI) pay the same or higher prices for beverages that Massachusetts and other deposit law states (VT, ME, CT) pay.  When the handling fee for bottlers goes from 2.25 cents to 3.25 cents as we hope it does soon,  consumers’ prices should  not change, “ commented Ken Pruitt of the Environmental League of Massachusetts. “ The handling fee is part of what makes this successful law work, and raising the handling fee one penny is a small price for bottlers to pay for the cost of recycling the 3.3 billion bottles that the industry produces and profits from,” Pruitt added.

Mass Audubon Director of Advocacy Jack Clarke echoed Pruitt’s remarks: “We hope that EEA’s proposal, a welcome and necessary one, and the tremendous support from this year’s Legislature will give even more momentum to our coalition’s effort to pass an update to the Bottle Bill in the legislature.  Containers without the 5-cent deposit, like water, sports drinks, vitamin beverages and iced teas, are becoming more popular, and creating more litter on our ball fields, in our parks, at our beaches.  Updating the bottle bill, which would get that 5-cent deposit on these everyday beverages, would reduce litter, increase recycling, and save cities and towns money in litter pick up and disposal costs,” Clarke added.

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Sierra Club Statement on the Proposal to Overturn the Massachusetts Bottle Bill

Press Statement

The Mass Food Association's Bottle Bill "Repeal" Proposal, which would add a one-cent tax to all beverages, isn't an attempt to "clean up" litter or increase recycling, it's an effort to maximize the profits of bottlers and supermarkets at public expense. This one-cent fee would barely fund enough recycling containers for a small city, and would do nothing to fund cleanup efforts. Their proposal is also a job killer, resulting in the loss of over 1000 existing recycling jobs. It would replace our successful deposit system, which has an amazing 80% recycling rate, with a voluntary system that sadly gets only 22% of the empties. Litter would increase, costing our cities and towns millions in cleanup fees. It would increase our dependence on foreign oil, the source of the plastic.

The existing bottle bill is the perfect example of corporate responsibility: those who create the problem, manufacturing billions of beverages annually in Massachusetts alone, pay to help clean up the mess that's created. Their repeal proposal is corporate irresponsibility at its worst.

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New 2013 Bottle Bill Filed

The 2013 version of the Bottle Bill Update has been filed in the Mass State Legislature.

In the senate, longtime environmental advocate Senator Cynthia Creem sponsored the senate version, SD522. Rep. Jonathan Hecht, an outspoken leader on the Bottle Bill in the house, filed it as HD1105.

Click here to view the bill: www.massbottlebill.org/ubb/files/UBB2013.pdf

These numbers are "temporary" filing dockets. Bill numbers are assigned later in the legislative session.

The bottle bill update enjoys overwhelming public support. Over 100 environmental organmizations, 200 cities and towns, and 350 businesses have endorsed the Bottle Bill Update.

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