With its first update since 1982 on the horizon, an expanded Massachusetts Bottle Bill is ready for Senate vote, promising to increase recycling success in the Commonwealth if passed.
On July 14, a panel of state lawmakers finally approved an expanded Bottle Bill that, if passed in the Senate, will be the first revision of the original 1982 law. The current Massachusetts Bottle Bill – essentially a “container deposit law” – fosters high rates of recycling or reuse of beverage containers by requiring a minimum refundable deposit of $0.05 on purchases of certain beverages. According to Governor Deval Patrick’s website, Massachusetts’ original 1982 bill restricts this effective idea to containers of carbonated soft drinks, mineral water, beer and malt beverages – and his administration, along with other concerned lawmakers, has been vocal about the importance of a Bottle Bill revision to effectively keep recyclable beverage containers off the streets and out of landfills.
In the nearly three decades since the passage of this landmark environmental bill, the beverage market has increasingly expanded to offer unprecedented amounts of bottled water, fruit and sports drinks – and, in particular, a surge in bottled water consumption in recent years has made a revision to the Bottle Bill a critical focal point for environmental activists and policymakers alike.
Nonetheless, the past fifteen years have seen repeated failed attempts at bringing a proposed bill expansion to a vote in committee. This July’s ultimate success represents a long-anticipated new direction for the effort to expand the $0.05 refundable deposit to bottled water and sports drinks. State Senator Patricia Jehlen echoed the sentiments of the bill’s many supporters in a July 20 message to her constituents, stating that “The [bottle] bill has helped contribute to a large amount of recycling in Massachusetts and updating it to include these popular beverages will only increase these numbers and help keep our streets litter free and our communities green.”
Indeed, the proposed law would not only increase the number of containers eligible for refundable deposit, it would also generate revenue for use in creating additional recycling and clean water programs throughout the Commonwealth. As residents of Massachusetts whose families and neighborhoods are affected by the outcome of this Senate vote critical to the environmental movement and the future of recycling in Massachusetts, those interested are able to contact their State Representative and State Senator to keep up the momentum for the passage of the proposed expanded Bottle Bill.
