To the Editor:
In 1990 there were over 6,000 landfills nationwide but they are filling up extremely quickly. Now, there are only a little over 1,000 landfills left and those are filling up as well. Seven states will have no more landfill space in the next five years. Here in New York, our landfills are filling up and our biggest landfill in Seneca Falls will be at capacity next year. The US produces more plastic than any other nation in the world but only recycles about 10 percent of it. What can be done?
The Bigger Better Bottle Bill would expand on New York’s bottle bill, increasing the types of products that can be returned for redemption to include coffee drinks, teas, sports drinks, and energy drinks. It would also increase the deposit from 5 to 10 cents per container. This would increase the incentive for people to recycle.
Additionally, the handling fee would increase from 3.5 cents to 6 cents. The handling fee is the fee producers pay to redemption centers for recycling their products. Over 200 redemption centers have closed in New York because the handling fee has not kept up with inflation. The handling fee has only increased from 2 cents to 3.5 cents since the bottle bill was created in 1982. Inflation has increased by 226 percent since the year the Bottle Bill was enacted according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In order for redemption centers to continue to operate and keep waste out of landfills, the handling fee needs to increase. Contact your state assembly person or senator today to urge them to support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill!
Sincerely,
Catherine Lusardi
Member of New York Public Interest Research Group
Communications Major