Better Bottle Bill

Even though his tenure as Governor was short, I was impressed with Spitzer’s support for the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. With his subsequent replacement by our current Governor Paterson, I am tepidly satisfied that atleast water bottles have been considered.

The Bottle Bill would have included “non-carbonated” to the list of deposit based beverages such as bottled water, iced-teas, and sports drinks, thus, offering more of an incentive for consumers to participate in recycling their waste.

The legislation, would not only add a 5-cent deposit to non-carbonated beverages, but also calls for the state to recover unclaimed deposits from the beverage industry. These funds would be allocated for New York's Environmental Protection Fund.

The Bill was watered down and passed during the 2009 budget cycle. Still, NYPIRG scored a landmark environmental victory this spring with the bill's passage. Starting last October, all bottled water sold in New York under a gallon in size will requires a 5-cent deposit. In addition, beverage companies will now have to transfer 80% of the unclaimed deposits they collect to the state. Finally, the new law will improve the infrastructure for collecting and recycling bottles and cans, making it more convenient for people to return their empty containers.

Until the next Bottle Bill update, it will still depend on the efforts of municipalities, civic groups and early education to maintain and increase recycling of all other containers from our daily waste.