Container and Packaging
Recycling UPDATE
Summer/Fall 2001 Issue

LANSING - Expanding Michigan's 25-year old beverage container deposit law to include water, tea, sports drink, and fruit juices is one of the top legislative priorities for Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), the largest conservation organization in the state. With 100,000 members and 525 affiliate clubs, MUCC is an organization that has clout and credibility in shaping state environmental policy.

We estimate an additional 800 million containers would be covered by expanding the law," said Dennis Fox, environmental policy specialist for MUCC. "If these containers had been around when the original bottle bill was passed, they would already be part of the system."

Representative Michael Switalski (D-Roseville) introduced HB 4096, to include non-carbonated beverage containers, except milk and dairy products. Representative Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), House Majority Floor Leader, is co-sponsoring the bill. "Patterson's co-sponsorship has created a new, bi-partisan effort to expand Michigan's Bottle Deposit Law," Fox said in a recent interview with CRI.

Senator Burton Leland (Detroit) introduced SB 223, a more narrowly targeted proposal to expand the bottle deposit law to include non-carbonated fruit beverages. Neither bill has been scheduled for committee hearings or votes yet in the first year of a two-year legislative session.

210 million containers, went unredeemed that year.

Michigan reports the highest recycling rates in the nation under its beverage container deposit law, with annual recycling rates in the range of 95 to 98 percent. CRI research shows that states with lower deposits have lower recycling rates.

Of the $21.9 million in unredeemed funds in 1999, $5.4 million was returned to retailers to defray sorting costs and $16.5 million was used to clean-up superfund sites. Retailers get 25 percent of unclaimed deposits and the special environmental clean-up fund gets 75 percent of unclaimed deposits.

Expansion efforts target approximately 14 percent of beverages sold in Michigan, containers that are a growing litter concern for MUCC members. Seeing plastic water bottles floating on Lake Michigan during fishing trips is an example of the litter that offends conservationists and sportsmen.

Opponents of the expansion include the beverage manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and bottlers. The biggest concern of grocers is the impact these additional containers will have on their already stretched facilities.

MUCC is working with industry groups to address their concerns. "We realize Michigan's system is 25-years-old and it's probably

Exploring ways to develop redemption centers authorized in current law is one issue raised by MUCC with retailers. Another issue that interests MUCC is exploring means to encourage more recycling businesses in Michigan, enterprises that could benefit from the steady supply of high quality material generated by the deposit system.

"Passage of these two bills will result in almost all containers being covered by a

time to take a comprehensive look at the entire system to see if there is room for improvement,"

deposit. It will go along way towards keeping Michigan's roadsides, parks, trails, and beaches the cleanest in the nation," said Fox.

Current law requires a 10-cent, refundable deposit on beer, soft drinks and wine coolers. In 1999, 4.3 billion bottles and cans were recycled. Only 5 percent,

said Fox, "but we are also committed to updating the bottle bill to include the new containers."

Fox told CRI that if the legislative effort fails, MUCC is prepared to take the issue to the ballot, which is how the law was enacted in November 2, 1976. MUCC was the key organization behind the referendum effort 25 years ago.