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State Updates

Iowa: Retailers fail to comply with deposit law

DES MOINES — A record number of bills were introduced in the 2005 legislative session, including proposals to expand the law, overhaul the law, or simply increase the 1¢ handling fee -- the lowest of any of the states that have a handling fee. None of the bills were passed.

Over the past year the state's two largest grocery chains, Hy-Vee and Fareway, have led attempts to sabotage the 27-year old container deposit law. In November 2004, they began refusing to accept deposit containers. Later, though generally complying with the law, retailers have diligently worked to make redemption as inconvenient as possible for consumers. Retailers continue to commit unpunished infractions to both the law and the administrative rules on a daily basis.

In addition to the dozens of retailers that are refusing to accept containers, many redemption centers have closed, saying that they cannot make a profit with such a low handling fee. Consumers are confused and angry because they can’t conveniently return their bottles and cans and redeem their deposits.

Several legislators have promised to make the issue a top priority for the upcoming session, which begins on January 9, 2006.

For more information, contact Dewayne Johnson at djohnson@iowarecycles.org.

Utah: Litter spoiling the state’s landscape

MOAB — Moab is a small town that Sara Melnicoff, president and founder of the nonprofit group Solutions, says is “smack dab in the middle of some of the most spectacular scenery on earth.” “But,” she says, “hidden among the red rocks, wrapped around the cactus, and strewn along the banks of the Colorado River, are tens of thousands of littered bottles and cans and other trash.”

Solutions is bringing public attention to the need for container deposits to prevent beverage container litter and working to get a bottle bill passed in Utah.

For more information, contact Sara Melnicoff at moab_solutions@hotmail.com or visit www.moab-solutions.org.

Arkansas: Bill would escheat refunds to state

CHEROKEE VILLAGE — Save Our Spring River (SOS) is the lead group promoting the “Beverage Container Litter Reduction Act" (HB 2692) proposed by Rep. David Cook (D-Williford). The bill, which would require a 5¢ refundable deposit on almost all packaged beverages, is currently under interim study.

Under the bill, unclaimed deposits would escheat to the state to pay out refunds, fund a 1¢ per container handling fee, and cover administrative expenses. Remaining money would be deposited in the state’s General Fund.

For more information, contact Ruth Reynolds at ruthreynolds@centurytel.net.

Illinois: “I-CAN”

CHICAGO – Illinois Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn introduced a bottle bill in April 2005. Nicknamed “I-CAN,” it calls for a 5¢ deposit and a 2¢ handling fee. Rep. Marlow H. Colvin (D-Chicago) sponsored the bill, but it only got as far as the Rules Committee. The Chicago Recycling Coalition has played an active role in promoting a bottle bill, and encourages others to join the effort.

For more information, contact Hope Whitfield at hopewhitfield@yahoo.com or visit http://www.state.il.us/ltgov/cleanwater/bottlebill.htm.

Washington: Impact of bottle bill studied

TACOMA — A report titled “Economic and Environmental Benefits of a Container Deposit System in the State of Washington” found that a beverage container deposit law would result in a loss of $222,214 in market revenue to Tacoma’s municipal curbside recycling program. The report also found that the city would save a total of $297,996 in reduced recycling costs, garbage collection costs, and disposal costs. The city would realize a net savings of $75,782.

The report by Sound Resource Management Group, Green Solutions and the City of Tacoma, analyzed three types of return systems: retail take-back, reverse vending machines, and the use of a third party organization established and financed by the beverage industry, the most costly for industry being retail take-back using manual sorting. The report noted that industry costs could be cut in half with the use of reverse vending machines.

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council is currently in a dialogue with food and beverage industry representatives to discuss the report’s conclusions. For more information, contact Bill Smith at BSmith@ci.tacoma.wa.us.

The report can be downloaded at http://www.bottlebill.org/geography/usa_nonbb-WAstate.htm

GAO asked to assess recycling

WASHINGTON — Five U.S. Senators have called upon the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to "evaluate the health of the recycling industry in the U.S." The joint letter to the GAO was sent by Senators Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Barack Obama (D-IL), Thomas Carper (D-DE) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

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