To the Editor,
We need to talk trash.
In the Bottle Bill’s 40 year history, the five cents you get back for returning certain plastic, glass, and aluminum beverage containers has never been updated to account for inflation and other economic changes. Five cents isn’t what it used to be – in fact, five cents in 1982 would be equal to about fifteen cents today.
Allowing more items to be redeemed alongside increasing the deposit to ten cents, as proposed by advocacy organizations like NYPIRG, would be a no-brainer.
Today, New York’s bottle deposit return rate is only at 71%. States offering 10 cents back see rates as high as 90%. By allowing more items to be returned and doubling the deposit fee, our rates could skyrocket. The improved Bottle Bill is to be industry financed so New York consumers and localities no longer pay for the management of these materials. It would even reduce carbon emissions and create revenue to support recycling equity and new redemption centers.
New York should continue to pioneer creative ways like upgrading the Bottle Bill to combat climate change, make a dent in our solid waste crisis, and put more money back in the pockets of our citizens.
Daniel Clesse
NYPIRG Intern at SUNY Cortland
daniel.clesse@cortland.edu
mpappas@nyprig.org
rcarson@nypirg.org
https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/57687.html
https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8833.html#:~:text=How%20effective%20is%20the%20Act,been%20reduced%20by%2075%20percent.