NY considers bottle bill expansion

Recycling Today, August, 2005

The New York State Assembly has passed bill A 2517, which seeks to expand the state's bottle bill to include bottled water, juices, sports drinks and other beverages.

The current Assembly bill would exempt liquor, wine, milk and baby formula containers and would require the bottling industry to turn over unclaimed nickel deposits to the state for use in the its Environmental Protection Fund.

The Food Industry Alliance of New York State is critical of the bill. Jim Rogers, president of the organization, complained that the bill would address only 3 percent of the overall waste stream. The Food Industry Alliance has introduced an Assembly Bill and a Senate Bill that, Rogers says, would better address the recycling of beverage containers.

The two bills, A 8522 and S 5500, would impose a new tax on litter-creating consumer items, with the money going toward community curbside recycling efforts.

While the bill passed the Assembly 90-48, Rogers says several Senate leaders have said that it is unlikely that the Senate would pass the bill.