Environmental, civic, and social justice organizations today called on Governor Hochul to modernize New York’s landmark recycling law, commonly known as the “Bottle Bill.” Advocates gathered outside of Mineola’s Theodore Roosevelt State Office Building beside a fifteen-foot-tall “bottle” to highlight the successes of the four-decade-old law and to urge that it be expanded as part of the state’s efforts to reduce litter, increase recycling, and boost support for municipal recycling and environmental justice programs. Assemblymember Englebright introduced the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in the legislature last week.
First enacted in 1982, the law, officially the New York State Returnable Container Act, requires a 5-cent refundable deposit to be placed on eligible beverage containers. The law requires retailers who sell covered beverages to accept returns of empty containers for the products they sell and refund the deposits, and it requires beverage distributors to pay retailers a handling fee for the cost of collecting empty containers.
Long Island, like much of New York, is struggling with a solid waste crisis. In particular, municipalities are struggling with glass breaking in their recycling streams. When glass breaks in curbside containers it can render unrecyclable for the municipality much of the other materials. The expansion of the Bottle Bill to include non-carbonated beverage containers, wine, spirits, and hard cider would remove a significant portion of the glass containers that municipal recycling programs are struggling with. This practice can result in the recyclable material being landfilled.
Even when recyclable materials are not contaminated by broken glass, the costs of recycling containers that are not covered under the state’s Bottle Bill are too high for many municipalities. For example, the costs associated with collecting and processing PET plastic bottles and glass per ton are higher than revenues per ton for scrap material. States that have a bottle deposit are 46% more likely to recycle PET plastic bottles than states that do not. Expanding the Bottle Bill would reduce or eliminate these costs for municipal programs by creating a financial incentive (the deposit) for consumers to return and an obligation (the law) for retailers to accept these containers, relieving the burden on local government recycling programs.
Assemblymember Steve Englebright introduced the bill this week, ahead of the law’s 40th Anniversary. Both local and statewide advocacy organizations rallied to express support for the newly introduced bill. Groups that participated in the rally include : NYPIRG, League of Women Voters, All Our Energy, Grassroots Environmental Education, and the Empire State Redemption Association all of whom argue that after four-decades of success, the time to increase New York’s recycling rates, provide support for municipal recycling programs, and boost redemption access in underserved communities is now.
Specifically, the groups called for two changes to modernize the Bottle Bill:
Expand the types and number of beverage containers covered by the Bottle Bill. Other states from Maine to California include a diverse range of non-carbonated beverages, wine, and liquor to great success.
Increase the amount of the deposit to a dime and direct a portion of the additional revenues collected by the state to ensure better compliance and enhance access to redemption entities in currently underserved communities. States like Michigan and Oregon that have increased their deposit to a dime have seen increases in recycling and container redemption rates.
Over its 40-year history, the advocates say, New York’s Bottle Bill has proven highly effective at reducing litter and increasing recycling rates. In 2020, New York’s redemption rate was at 64%. The Bottle Bill reduces roadside container litter by 70%, and in 2020, 5.5 billion containers were recycled in the state. However, advocates say, it’s time to modernize the law for a new era.
“The waste crisis is becoming dire and not just in New York. Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested. We have reached a turning point in human history, “ said Maraki Russell, Long Island Regional Coordinator of NYPIRG. “However, instead of ramping up recycling and reducing reliance on plastics, we are actually increasing use. Long Islanders deserve better. To protect our health and our island, it is essential that we pass the Bottle Bill and end reliance on single use plastics. The Bottle Bill is a first step in increasing recycling, relieving municipal landfills, and reducing waste. “
“Updating the state's 40-year old bottle bill would be a major step to bring us into the 21st century and substantially divert the waste stream away from our overburdened landfills, polluting incinerators and our waterways and oceans. New York's waste and plastic crisis is being addressed by this decisive action taken by true leaders in Albany,” said Patti Wood, Executive Director of Grassroots Environmental Education.
“As the President of the Empire State Redemption Association, representing over 125 redemption centers across the state, we believe it's essential that we expand the Bottle Bill to provide higher recycling rates for our municipalities and communities. Curbside recycling programs have a 9% recycling rate while container return systems in New York provide a 64% rate. As the human race battles against a historic waste crisis, New York must continue to be a social and environmental leader for the rest of the country. We call on the State Legislature to pass the Bottle Bill by the end of session,” said Martin Naro, President of the Empire State Redemption Association.
“As New York State continues to face the detrimental impacts of climate change, legislators must move to decrease our waste by encouraging the practice of recycling and discourage the production of waste. An updated bottle bill and an EPR bill will tackle the growing problem plastic waste poses to our natural environment. It is time we hold producers responsible for the irreversible impact they are having on our climate,” said Erica Smitka, Deputy Director of the League of Women Voters.