Reduction of plastics is a climate and environmental issue. If the plastics industry were a country, it would be the world’s fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter. And the US is the top generator of plastic waste. Contrary to the wishes of the bottling industry, we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic crisis. Only 5% of plastic waste generated in the US is recycled. Our single-use plastics are polluting our oceans and jeopardizing our health.
We need to shrink our use of plastics with a modern deposit return system that will reduce litter, increase recycling, and speed up the transition to reusable and refillable containers. Massachusetts was a leader in 1983 when we enacted a bottle bill, but we now have the lowest return rate in the country at 36% because of the failure of our legislation to keep pace with inflation and the market. A nickel is not worth what it was 40 years ago, nor was the disposable water bottle a factor. Our elected representatives must add an updated bottle bill to the Environmental Bond Bill to be voted on this session.
A modern deposit return system will cover a broad array of beverage containers and create the infrastructure and consumer culture to develop reusable and refillable beverage systems. Enough redemption centers will exist so that it will be easy to return containers regardless of where one lives. Producers will pay for program administration and enforcement as well as handling fees, i.e. transportation and recycling costs. Redemption fees will be able to be raised to follow inflation and mandated if goals for redemption site accessibility and recycling rates are not met. Municipal waste disposal costs will decrease. Massachusetts will be back in the forefront for recycling and establishing a standard for producer responsibility. It can be done, and we should do it!