Deception and Fear Mongering

Letter to the Editor, Boston Globe
by Alison Leary, Newton, MA

The deception and fear mongering are rampant in Chris Flynn’s diatribe on the bottle bill. (“Bottle bill is Anti-Massachusetts”, July 24th The Boston Globe). Mr. Flynn,a lobbyist for the supermarkets, is clearly panicking now that, despite his best efforts,that the Senate passed the Updated Bottle Bill as an amendment to the Jobs Bill.

This is a fully refundable bottle deposit, not a tax. You get the nickel back when you return the container. According to MA DEP data an updated bottle bill would save communities an estimated $7 million per year in combined trash collection and disposal. More than 200 cities and towns support the expanded bottle bill. Expanding the bottle bill is good for the economy and creates jobs. Thousands of people are employed by the recycling industry in Massachusetts. Adding deposits to more containers would provide work for more people and help small businesses, including the 140 redemption centers across the state.

Mr. Flynn is parroting the same discredited, self serving arguments that ensure  all costs are pushed squarely on the backs of communities, giving his industry a free pass.  If he was truly interested in maximizing recycling efforts then he would be supporting the expanded bottle bill, along with curbside recycling, which is the proven combination that prevents litter, saves money and reduces the number of recyclable material going into landfills.

# # #