© Container Recycling Institute Rural Community Assistance Program August 23, 2005 Washington, DC BIG RETURNS Pat Franklin, Executive Director Container Recycling Institute SMALL DEPOSITS

© Container Recycling Institute The 5¢ Incentive to Recycle

© Container Recycling Institute Beverage Containers Recycled Per Capita in the United States Units Source: Table ES-1, “Understanding Beverage Container Recycling: A Value Chain Assessment Prepared for the Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project,” Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR), per capita 490 per capita

© Container Recycling Institute Total Annual Recovery (billions of units) Per Capita Recovery (units) % of Total US Annual Recovery Cents Per Unit 40 Non-deposit States (71% of US Population) % Deposit States (29% of US Population) %1.53 (a) Includes revenues from material sales; does not include the forfeited deposit value of unredeemed containers. Source: Table ES-1, “Understanding Beverage Container Recycling: A Value Chain Assessment Prepared for the Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project,” Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling (BEAR), Container Recycling Scorecard

© Container Recycling Institute States with Container Deposit Laws Oregon Vermont Michigan Maine Iowa Connecticut Massachusetts Delaware New York California Hawaii

© Container Recycling Institute Retailer Consumer Deposit Initiation Distributor or Bottler (Filled container) (Filled container) deposit Deposit Redemption Retailer or Redemption Center Consumer Distributor or Bottler container) (Empty container) deposit ( plus handling fees if applicable) (Empty How does a Deposit System Work?

© Container Recycling Institute  Reduce litter and related costs  Increase recycling of bottles and cans  Complement curbside recycling  Popular with the public  Costs taxpayers nothing and can generate revenue Why consider a bottle bill?

© Container Recycling Institute reduce litter

© Container Recycling Institute Litter is Costly to America’s Farmers “There is little a community can do about drought or disaster, but we can do something positive about litter from beverage containers by supporting [Sen. Jim] Jeffords' bill.” -- Larry Breech, President, Pennsylvania Farmers Union, op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer, October Damage to farm machinery Injury to livestock Contamination of feed & crops

© Container Recycling Institute StateBeverage Container Litter Reduced Total Litter Reduced NY %30% OR83%47% VT76%35% ME % % MI80%38% IA77%38% Source: “Trade-offs Involved in Beverage Container Deposit Legislation”, US GAO, Litter Down in Six States after Bottle Bill Implemented

© Container Recycling Institute Waste News November 24, 2003 increase recycling

© Container Recycling Institute Beverage Container Recycling Rates: California Source: CA Department of Conservation, Bi-Annual Report November 2004

© Container Recycling Institute Beverage Container Recycling: California Vs Overall U.S. Rate 2003 Source: CA Department of Conservation, Bi-Annual Report, November 2004; MSW in United States: Facts & Figures,USEPA 2004, American Plastics Council. CA U.S. CA U.S.

© Container Recycling Institute Beverage Container “Redemption” Rates 5 ¢ deposit 5 ¢ deposit 10 ¢ deposit Source: NY Dept of Conservation, MA Dept of Env Protection, MI Dept of Env Quality

complement curbside recycling

Bottle Bills Complement Curbside Recycling Source: BioCycle 2003 Percent

Seattle Solid Waste Utility Findings: 2) Cost savings to the city: Between $591,245 and $849,219 3) Overall net system savings to city (after compensating recyclers for revenue loss): Between $236,917 and $632,774 1) Increased diversion: 42% to 54% more beverage container tonnage diverted How would a bottle bill impact an existing curbside recycling program?

popular with public

Sources: New York:“Survey of New York Registered Voters: Attitudes Toward New York’s Bottle Bill and Proposed Reforms”, Public Policy Associates, Inc, Feb [800 registered voters surveyed]. Iowa: University of Northern Iowa Center for Social and Behavioral Research, Michigan: Public Policy Associates, Inc, Feb [1000 registered voters surveyed]. Public Support for Deposits in Bottle Bill States New York: 81% of respondents agreed that: “Curbside recycling is not enough. We need the bottle-deposit program to control litter.” Iowa: More than 90% of respondents indicated support for Iowa’s existing bottle bill. favored updating the state’s 10¢ deposit law to include bottled water, juice, iced teas, and sports drinks. Michigan: 74% favored updating the state’s 10¢ deposit law to include bottled water, juice, iced teas, and sports drinks.

generate revenue

 In most states, unredeemed deposits are property of distributors/bottlers.  In MA, CA, MI and ME unredeemed deposits go to the state. ($33.7 million in FY-2003 in MA)  A total of $314.8 million has gone to the state of MA since 1990, most of it to the state’s Clean Environment Fund. Who keeps the unredeemed deposits?

10 ¢  Modeled after industry’s system for collecting refillable beer, soft drink and milk bottles  Provide consumers with a financial incentive to recycle and a disincentive to litter  Work everywhere! Why are beverage container deposit programs so successful?

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