Sen. Rebekah Warren announces legislation to expand Michigan's bottle deposit law
Should the state of Michigan's 10-cent deposit on bottles be expanded to include water and most other bottled beverages?
It's an age-old question that's been debated for years, and state Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, is hoping the state Legislature will take action on it this session.
Rebekah Warren
"The bottle deposit law has been one of the most successful advances in environmental protection in our state in recent years," Warren said.
"With an estimated rate of return of more than 95 percent on bottles currently covered under the legislation, expansion to cover water, juice and energy drinks would amount to unprecedented environmental benefits in this state, where our natural resources are so cherished."
Michigan's bottle deposit law was put in place in the 1970s to reduce roadside litter, clean up the environment and conserve energy and natural resources. The beverage containers included in the original law were beer, soft drinks, and carbonated and mineral waters, and in 1988 the law was expanded to include wine coolers and canned cocktails.
Warren argued the law has been extremely successful with a return rate on bottles with deposits averaging more than 95 percent during the last 16 years.
"With the boom in the consumption of bottled water and juice in recent years and the resulting litter and landfill space being taken up by those products, the next logical step is to update Michigan's beverage container law to further reduce litter and waste," Warren said.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Grocers Association could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday, nor could a spokesperson for the Senate GOP leadership.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, most bottled water comes in recyclable plastic bottles, but only about 13 percent of the bottles used get recycled, leaving millions of tons of plastic water bottles clogging landfills instead of getting recycled.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
Mike
Sat, Jun 15, 2013 : 3:34 a.m.
These deposits are a pain in the butt. I'd rather recycle than have to deal with this. rebekah warren must stay up at night dreaming this stuff up..............
Frustrated in A2
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 5:23 p.m.
I'm not mad at the idea. I don't buy bottled water often but when I do I just recycle them.
catfishrisin
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 3:38 p.m.
More bottles to return while the return procedures remain problematic. Machines that don't work. Long lines and stores that discourage bottle returns, or stores that don't accept containers not sold by the store (who really remembers where they bought each container?). I agree with the principle of having 10 cent deposits as an incentive to recycle and even expanding to include other containers but I'm also getting increasingly frustrated with the difficulty of returning the containers.
Mike
Sat, Jun 15, 2013 : 3:36 a.m.
Don't forget all of the carbon that is put into the air to return them and the energy used to run the machines.............
tommy_t
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 2:05 p.m.
She's job creating! I'll be stocking up on my large garbage bags and heading for them trash bins the minute it's passed. Hope they don't limit the returns at my liquor store again!
Judy
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 12:42 p.m.
What she has a good idea, miracles are never ending. With deposits on water bottles maybe I can retire with all of them that seam to end up in my front yard.
intellcity
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 3:47 a.m.
I am all for expanding the bottle deposit to currently excluded bottles (and cans). There does seem to be a need to improve the bottle return system on the other side of the hole in the wall. It should not be such a burden for the retailers and distributors to handle the returns. Other states have other systems. Some shred the bottles as soon as they go through the machine. It does not seem like that is done here in Michigan. I see no reason that the bottles need to be returned whole to the distributor if a machine is used. With the barcode scanners it seems like a software/book keeping problem. If they are all handled by hand, then there is the problem with fraud somewhere. Anytime cash is handled in volume someone out there is trying to figure out how to get their hands on it, and tax free to boot. If the burden of returning the bottles intact to the source could be eliminated then any business with a scanner machine could accept any redeemable bottle. This would eliminate the separate trips to Kroger, Wal-Mart, Meijer and all the other places you got your bottles from.
Fresh Start
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 12:09 a.m.
Really? Go get a real job!
jklep12
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 6:59 p.m.
Refillable water bottles are the way to go. How can we get more people to go that route?
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
"Refillable water bottles are the way to go. How can we get more people to go that route?" If Monsanto started selling bottled water they would all stop buying it.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:28 p.m.
That would be nice but doesn't address the problem of people who claim their tap water is undrinkable for whatever reason. I guess in the days before bottled water those folks would have just died from dehydration. Then again maybe we were better off having them eliminated from the gene pool. Lewis Black has it right.
ManA2
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 6:52 p.m.
This is a no brainer. Like some others have said, I'm often not in agreement with the Senator, but I remember the days in Michigan before the deposits on bottles. This place was a mess. It has worked well and consumption of beverages has shifted a lot to water from carbonated beverages. Hope this one goes through.
martini man
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:11 p.m.
Might be a good idea to check and see if Becky owns any interest in the companies that manufacture recycle machines. The grocery stores will have to spend millions to install new ones. And guess who will pay for it ?? It might create jobs ,,but they probably will be manufactured overseas.
arborani
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:45 p.m.
And then I went and misspelled her first name. Totally stupid of me.
arborani
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
She is Senator Rebecca Warren, as I have commented elsewhere.
djacks24
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:23 p.m.
If she wants this passed so badly, she should designate her home as a drop off site.
Thaddeus
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:56 p.m.
Why not also add into the legislation to change the return from 10c to 25c or 50c? Michigan's 10c return is to my knowledge is still the highest general return in North America. However 10c doesn't quite have the power that it did almost four decades ago. An increase in the return would likely boost return-rates even more (yet be the same net cost to the consumer). As others have noted, the effect of the 1976 Bottle Law was virtually overnight. One could easily tell when one had crossed the State line by the drastic increase of trash lining roadways....
Arborcomment
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:20 p.m.
Besides, Seinfeld isn't on TV anymore. Can't have a Kramer/Newman road trip part deaux.
Jake C
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
But since we already have a return rate of 95%, raising the cost from $0.10 to $0.20 would have a fairly small effect on return rates, yet it would be a relatively significant cost increase to consumers.
ManA2
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 6:53 p.m.
You're getting 95% of them with a dime. No reason to mess with that. Those who care are already doing it.
Bablat
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:56 p.m.
Maybe we can return Rebekah Warren? Ouch, she is not returnable, no deposit.... No pressing issues left???
whojix
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:46 p.m.
It's not the 70s anymore, 10 cents per bottle isn't an incentive to drag bags of bottles back to a store. My time is worth far more than that.
Mike
Sat, Jun 15, 2013 : 3:37 a.m.
You must not like a clean environment, shame on you..............
Jake C
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:47 p.m.
"My time is worth far more than that." Let's see, it might take 5 seconds per can returned in the big machines, and that's a slow estimate. So you could return 12 cans in a minute, which is $1.20. That's the equivalent of $72/hour. If you can't be bothered to spend 5 minutes to return a bag full of cans, then why not just take it back to the bottle return area and leave it on the ground, I'm sure some other poor schlub would be happy to earn $72/hour by putting a few of your cans in a machine.
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.
10 cents works for everyone I know, especially students. If I'm too busy, I pop 'em in the recycling bin.
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:01 p.m.
put them in a bag and give them to the neighbor kids to buy used video games.
Brad
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:35 p.m.
How about Ann Arbor adopts a $1-per-cup deposit on Solo cups? Budget problems solved!
Hmm
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:16 p.m.
I'd like it if they required the stores to accept all cans and bottles, not just the ones that they sell in their own stores. It really sucks when you go to Kroger and then have to go to Meijer because the Kroger won't accept a certain brand. Wastes my time and gas to have to go different places like that when I should just be able to do it all in the same location
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
There isn't a deposit on Hawaiian Punch bottles.
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:59 p.m.
Kroger just did that to me with Hawaiian Punch I bought from them. Which is why I would prefer ending the deposit so I can place it in the recycling bin without being taxed unnecessarily.
Jeff Frank
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:28 p.m.
What I hate more is returning a bottle to the store I bought it from and having the stupid machine tell me that the store doesn't accept that brand... Meijer, I'm speaking to you about Redd's Apple Ale!
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:31 p.m.
I agree but you will have to take on the distributor/wholesaler system as they are the ones that will not take bottles they do not sell to the store.
rm1
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
Curbside recycling alone would not clean up roadsides, etc., because without the ten cent incentive, (1) more bottles would be discarded, and possibly more importantly, (2) there would be no incentive for scavengers to collect those bottles. Those urging defeat of this bill, or worse, repeal of the existing bottle-return law, overlook these facts.
CynicA2
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:03 p.m.
That's what incarcerated individuals in orange jump-suits w/ pointed sticks are for - beats sitting in jail, and they earn their keep!
Nicholas Urfe
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:53 p.m.
It is great that so many of us do recycle and wouldn't think of tossing those bottles in the trash. But there are vast numbers of people who won't be bothered to recycle their plastic water bottles. People like some of my family members. They drink all their water out of bottles because their well water tastes a bit funny (and they won't bother to change the filter). Every water bottle goes into the trash. It is disgusting. This law would change their bad behavior.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:31 p.m.
I have never in my life tossed a plastic bottle in the trash and wouldn't consider it a burden to return them to the store instead. People are so lazy it disgusts me. Basic Bob, did you even read the article or just decide to chime in with your 2 cents? Prior to passing legislation that requires a deposit of carbonated beverages almost no cans and bottles were recycled and went directly into the trash or along our road sides. Now 95% are returned. Would you like to revise your notion that 10 cents is not enough incentive to effect peoples behavior?
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4 p.m.
if you can't affect their behavior, a dime will not either.
Brad
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:32 p.m.
And be a burden on those that already have good behavior. Like so many laws, geared toward the lowest common denominator.
YpsiYapper
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:50 p.m.
@Tru2Blu76. I am one of those people who carry bags of bags of cans in to the supermarket. I wear my sloppiest set of clothes and am on line right behind those so called of "low economic status". I may happen to be in a better state as far as finances however those people have to eat just like every other human being. I could care less what image the store has of me or them. I also could care less whether I am a burden on them or not. The store charged me 10 cents for that can, and as inconvenient as it may be for me I am not going to be part of a windfall for any company who is paying minimum or close to wage, raking in 100's of millions in profits a year to begin with, along with the pop producers and the state. Those people of "less economic status" also may have little or no other income. I find it rather disturbing your view of people who return cans. They look as human as I do, or you, are keeping the streets clean and are to say the least honestly earning their money.
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:23 p.m.
But the store keeps the profit from the originally sold drink, right? And there can be a large markup on beverages.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:30 p.m.
the store does not keep that 10c per bottle, it is paid to the distributor of the product and then that 10c goes to the state so the return system labor/machine is paid for by the store. There are a lot of independent stores who also do bottle returns and pay their staff well above min wage.
djacks24
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:21 p.m.
Why don't you bring your "bags of bags of cans" in more often or limit it to one bag so the rest of us who don't wait until we are being pushed out our house with saved recyclables can return ours without waiting so long.
Stephen Landes
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:18 p.m.
When the original bottle deposit law was enacted home-based recycling was virtually non-existent. Now we have recycling pickups at home, from offices, and at many public venues. All my bottles, cans, and other containers are recycled -- tight into the wheeled tote bin we all paid a high price for the City to purchase. A recycled bottled is just as recycled in that bin as through the grocery store. Let's make life easier on everyone: no new deposit laws, but make sure there are recycling containers available where appropriate and let each city decide what constitutes appropriate in their circumstances.
cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:15 p.m.
it would attract more "canners" to mi.!
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:01 p.m.
And even more of our money would be heading to our neighbor states.
djacks24
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:47 p.m.
When the original legislation was introduced back in 1976, we really had no recycle options. Now we have curb side recycling and recycle centers in just about every community. Also, that's more cost that will be handed down to us through the grocers (labor handing returns, cleanup, storage). Also, how much more cardboard and paper trash is this generating using items to haul the recyclable containers back. Have any of you or Mrs. Warren even been to the recycle room of a local supermarket and notice how much trash is accumulated there with bags and boxes used to haul in the bottles? I'd almost rather just scrap the whole deposit thing now and make all of these items curbside items. Nothing like going to return my one weeks worth of bottles to find people in line in front of me with garbage bags full of returnables, broke down or full machines, my shoes sticking to the floor, and broken glass all over.
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:37 p.m.
Curbside recycling has indeed expanded, but still only a limited number of people are putting their water bottle in them.
Brad
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:58 p.m.
Excellent point about the advances in curbside recycling since this the original law took effect. Almost seems like a step backward from our single-stream recycling.
Machine
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.
This should have done years ago. I've never understood why it wasn't expanded to include sports drinks, iced tea and juice drinks, and bottled water. Heck, I wouldn't mind it including wine and liquor bottles as well.
LarryJ
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:29 p.m.
This bill is long overdue. Pass it ! "Provide incentives to recycle instead.". Duuh. Isn't 10 cents about the most straightforward and effective incentive one could imagine? An even better idea, of course, is for all of us to stop buying beverages, especially H2O, in containers. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Brad
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:56 p.m.
So how is this container-less storage of liquids supposed to work? If they didn't need a container they'd be solids. Taking stuff out to the curb to recycle is fine (I already do that). Having to take more stuff to the store to recycle in the slow machines isn't that convenient or appealing.
CynicA2
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:17 p.m.
Completely unnecessary. Just recycle them. Another pain-in-the-ars, do-gooder-leftie-crackpot idea. Not likely to make it far in this legislature anyway, so all this is just political grandstanding. Go do something useful. Be sure to vote for the other guy, come next election.
CynicA2
Fri, Jun 14, 2013 : 2:23 a.m.
It is a wasteful idea, because it duplicates costs already covered by recycling - in fact, we should abolish the bottle deposit law entirely. As for any residual roadside clutter, that's what incarcerated individuals in orange jump-suits w/ pointed sticks are for - beats sitting in jail, and they earn their keep! Everybody wins!
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:21 p.m.
Jay, statistics show that very few (13% per this article) recycle non-carbonated beverage containers. It has nothing to do with not trusting people. In fact when it comes to recycling I tend to trust people more than I should by providing recycling containers at events that I hold. I always end up fishing that vast majority of the containers out of the trash can and that's when both types of containers (trash and recycling) are made available to people. People can be so lazy that they don't even both to check the type of bin they are tossing their water bottle into. Seems to me you are projecting your own habits onto others. But kudos to you for voluntarily recycling. If everyone was more like you there wouldn't be any need for this type of legislation.
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:03 p.m.
Lola, there is nothing selfish about me recycling the bottles I buy instead of taking them back to the supermarket and wasting my time. You obviously don't trust people to do the right thing.
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:17 p.m.
You can still just recycle them, if 5-10 cents isn't an issue.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:23 p.m.
Is this a pain-in-the-arse, do-gooder-leftie-crackpot idea because it inconveniences you? It seems that Right Wing is only in favor of legislation that benefits them personally and doesn't give a rat's arse about anything that benefits society as a whole. Selfish b@$t@rds.
Brad
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:05 p.m.
Not sure about this one. I've never understood why it applied to carbonated beverages only so adding other containers would seem perfectly sensible. On the other hand, the typical bottle return machinery being used today is pretty slow, and many stores do an abysmal job of keeping the machines running and clean. Before the Meijer stores cleaned up their areas a few years back I wouldn't even go there unless all my vaccinations were up to date. They do a much, much better job now (at all the Meier stores). Kroger - take a lesson! Your recycle facility at the Carpenter store is just plain nasty a large portion of the time.
sayzme
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:57 p.m.
This one is a no brainer. Get it done!
Jon Saalberg
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:30 p.m.
Our highway medians and the fringes of Detroit area freeways are crying yes on this issue.
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:29 p.m.
It's hard for me to think of anything more stupid; the entire bottle deposit idea has run its course. When we didn't have recycling it made perfect sense. Now we can just put them IN THE BIN. But you want to make me waste time standing in line at the store because of the few irresponsible people. Oh, and the 95% return rate is because our "friends" in other states bring their bottles here for the money (So every year millions of dollars is transferred from us to people in those states who didn't put in a dime to begin with). Brilliant!
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:34 p.m.
Yes, because of the few 87%. Such a negligible number really. And I think you may be putting too much stock in Kramer's scheme.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:15 p.m.
Jay, the source is this article. Did you read it?
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:07 p.m.
Lola, who is measuring that. Care to share your source? They can measure how many bottles are returned for deposit but I'm not sure they can pinpoint exactly how many are ending up in the landfill.
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:15 p.m.
You can still "put them in the bin" if there is a deposit, you'll just lose the 5-10 cents deposit.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:20 p.m.
Cans and bottles from other states cannot be returned here. Once again, only 13% of non-carbonated beverage containers are recycled which means that 87% of people are irresponsible, not just a few.
Dog Guy
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:28 p.m.
Cleaning up the environment by reducing roadside litter would allow visitors to Pure Michigan an uncluttered view of brightly flashing lottery billboards and those advertising the Happy Ending Asian Health Spa.
Hugh Giariola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:14 p.m.
Totally the wrong direction! Disband this refund program and move to plain recycling.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:16 p.m.
Except that people don't do it. What part of 95% of beer/soda containers are returned vs. only 13% of non-carbonated beverages are recycled do you not comprehend?
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:11 p.m.
This would destroy Michigans economy, just like the original bottle bill did! People want laws that do what they are intended to do, then when we have one they still complain. This is a GREAT idea, long overdue. I am tired of picking up bottles from my yard. Maybe those opposed to the mess in stores would be willing to clean my yard weekly and spend a few hours a month on the highways and bi-ways?
Jay Thomas
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:09 p.m.
Hey, he makes some nice side money as a result and doesn't want to see that end!
Paul
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:02 p.m.
No No No. And yes this is coming from a mom and pop convenience store owner. I have 5 distributors of water and juice suppliers which would mean we need to sort the nasty, bug and bacteria ridden bottles now to 5 more vendors in order to separate each with its own supplied bottles. Because you know if water bottles are accepted what will stop the law from authorizing now juice bottles too or all non-carbonated bottles. As a small business owner, we need to sort through all this mess and place each bottle in an appropriate bag for the assigned vendor. We do not own or can afford or have the space for the machines that the big chain stores own, so we are forced to make room and labor hours to sort through the bins each day manually put the bottles away. Disgusting, health risk problem. Found crack needles in bins before! MI should move to cash centers to encourage recycling similar to California as I understand it.
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
Blueton I am not eating my dinner at a recycle room at a grocery store. The bottle / cans get recycled, not reused. In answer to Paul, someone else mentioned the California model/ I do not know what it is, but I would support a program where some of the unclaimed return money goes into a fund to help retailers purchase the machines.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:31 p.m.
I hear ya Paul, I often wonder what all the folks who get up in arms about the restaurant inspection reports would say if they saw how bottle returns work.
OLDTIMER3
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:12 a.m.
Remember when milk came in glass bottles to be returned when purchasing fresh milk. The same with beer and pop bottles , they were washed and sanitized and refilled. If we went back to that they wouldn't need most of the plastic bottles to start with.
Jake C
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:14 p.m.
There's milk sold at Whole Foods that comes in thick old-fashioned glass milk bottles that come with something like a $1 deposit. Since there's no fancy labels on the bottles (just the cap), I think these companies do exactly what you described, take them back to the milk bottler and sanitize & re-use them.
Are you serious?
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:56 p.m.
OLDTIMER3 - it's all about the money. If you are willing to pay a significant amount more for reusable glass bottles then you are the exception. I suspect you are part of a very small minority who would be willing to pay extra.
NSider
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:35 a.m.
Oh Boy do I remember that... but not only that, at the local brewery you could go buy a case of "shorts" for a couple bucks, beer bottles not filled completely, drink the beer and return the bottles. This was when a case of beer was $4-$5, so it was quite a saving.
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:03 a.m.
Another bill for the trash compactor.
David
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 6:30 a.m.
That's fine, if they come up with a way for my to get my deposit back without having to truck my bottles back to the place a bought them (which means remembering where I bought each an every bottle). I'm happy to recycle from home, but the need to bring bottles back to the grocery store is ridiculous. Also, the fact that the stores don't have to accept any brands of bottles they don't sell is obnoxious.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:12 p.m.
Hugh, have you considered washing those nasty cans and bottles or at least rinsing them well? If that's too much work for you perhaps you are drinking too much.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:41 p.m.
The reason a store can't take the returns on products they don't sell is because the distributors won't take back bottles they don't sell to the store. Why they won't I don't know because they are all essentially the same. After the bottles are returned all the bottles have to be sorted by distributor, so if you can't afford one of those fancy machines, which are crazy expensive, it all has to be done by hand. Next time you are in a small local store who take returns and do not have a machine ask if you can see how they do their returns, it costs the business a ton of money in labor etc to handle the returns.
Hugh Giariola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:18 p.m.
Also, the fact that these return areas are inherently nasty-foul-oldstalebeer-smelling places! What's worse than having drippings from month-old beer or soda fall on you while returning them?
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:51 a.m.
Thinking about all the trash on the side of our expressways, especially when the snow melts. Especially notice it when I bring a visitor from the airport, it becomes their first impression of our otherwise beautiful state. I also see empty plastic bottles nestled in the grass when walking near my family's home in a Detroit suburb. It's gross. A lot of litter ends up in our waterways, too, and we end up drinking plastic molecules (google 'garbage patches') or consuming them via fish. It seems like an expanded bottle deposit law could be the necessary incentive to clean things up!
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
@blue, yes.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:31 p.m.
Do you pu the bottles when you are walking?
rsa221
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:54 a.m.
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/12/new-concerns-about-plastic-pollution-in-great-lakes-garbage-patch/
katmando
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:24 a.m.
about time!
nunya
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:21 a.m.
No. This adds cost for all of us. You have to stop somewhere otherwise why don't I just return all of my container trash to the store. In fact let's get rid of the deposit laws all together. Provide incentives to recycle instead.
arborani
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:41 p.m.
@Jake - we had that here - and nobody cared.
Jake C
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:09 p.m.
Some communities do provide an incentive to recycle through standard curb-side methods -- things like having RFID-enabled recycle bins that issue "points" to your account based on how much you recycle each month, which can be redeemed for gift certificates for local businesses. Of course that creates a whole new set of problems like people driving around overnight and basically stealing your recycling sitting at the curb, so they can get the points themselves. Some cities are also issuing fines if you throw too much recyclable material in with your trash, though more people seem to prefer the Carrot instead of the Stick.
fjord
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:32 p.m.
As Gownie already pointed out ... the whole reason for a deposit law to exist in the first place is to provide an incentive to recycle. You can't get a more direct incentive than a 10-cent deposit that you can recoup later. It's such a powerful incentive that if you can't be bothered to recycle a bottle or can and toss it aside, someone else will come along and do it for you. They'll even rummage through trash cans in their zeal to recycle. As incentives go, a deposit bill is as close to perfect as you can get.
Gownie
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 7:13 a.m.
Um, isn't that what a deposit law is--an incentive to recycle?
rm1
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:47 a.m.
beardown speculates: "This sounds like it will be a nightmare for grocery stores and other places that have bottle return machines. I would imagine that these machines are not built to take returns on other sized bottles." I believe these machines now generally handle various sizes of plastic bottles. The machines also read the bar codes on labels, to screen out no-deposit bottles, out-of-state bottles, and brands not carried by the store. Probably the only change needed under the proposed law would be to reprogram the scanner software for the newly added bottles -- presumably a trivial expense.
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.
Bob I can't believe you actually posted that comment! Surely you know that if the bill goes into effect, the bottlers will be distributing their products in returnable bottles and ONLY in returnable bottles; so the retailers will not only have no problem getting returnable bottles, they won't have a choice! It's not like the law is passed today and tomorrow is when it takes effect.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
The same distributors that deliver the bottled water to them now will be distributing the deposit-enabled bottled water then.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:33 p.m.
You are assuming all stores have those machines, they cost a lot of money to buy or lease and the maintenance on them is a nightmare.
Paul
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:52 a.m.
The stores will past the extra cost of those bottle machines on to us, the customers..yet some folks want this ?
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:11 a.m.
Every store in Michigan would need to purchase water that comes in returnable bottles. That seems like the wrong way to go.
Proleptically Living
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:30 a.m.
William Milliken (R), governor of Michigan when the bottle bill came into effect, was a forward-thinking Republican who cared about the environment, a TRUE conservative. As a liberal, I am still in awe of Governor Milliken for getting this bill passed when 10 cents was 25% OF THE COST of the contents of the container! Even though I am a Democrat, he is my political hero.
Aah
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:21 a.m.
I'm more interested in the expansion of medicaid than the expansion of bottle deposits. Both would be nice.
Dog Guy
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:06 a.m.
To reduce roadside litter, clean up the environment, and conserve energy there should be a deposit on condoms.
Superior Twp voter
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:13 p.m.
Don't give her any more ideas, Dog Guy. She'll propose anything to achieve the limelight.
TinyArtist
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:44 p.m.
I haven't checked lately, but I believe the deposit is in them.
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:09 a.m.
Would you support expanding it to cigarette butts?
Krupper1
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:58 a.m.
Thank goodness the guv-mint is here to fix everything!
brian
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:38 a.m.
Maybe Rebekah would like to handle everyone's nasty bottles with roaches in them. Have you ever seen people dumping bottles into grocery carts, the same carts you put your groceries in? I would love if someone would take a sample from a grocery cart and have it tested to see just how bacteria is on them. Nasty, the bottle law should be overturned.
a2migrl
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:26 p.m.
Thank you for that visual. I will be the one standing there with their bottle of wipes cleaning the entire cart and holding up the line before I shop.
Bob Zuruncol
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:04 p.m.
Or if you don't like this proposal, maybe you would like to handle it, since only 13% of water bottles are currently being recycled. Tell us again what your plan was, please. Cool that you are on a first name basis with the senator, though.
beardown
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:32 a.m.
This sounds like it will be a nightmare for grocery stores and other places that have bottle return machines. I would imagine that these machines are not built to take returns on other sized bottles. I recycle whatever bottles of water I buy, so I couldn't care either way. But it seems like they might want to look into the logistics of this before they pass it.
A2comments
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:35 p.m.
Since the machines can take a large 2 or 3 liter bottle as well as a small 16.9 oz bottle, I think you're conclusion is flawed.
fjord
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.
"I would imagine that these machines are not built to take returns on other sized bottles." You would imagine incorrectly.
Madhatter
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:11 a.m.
Is there any way we can return the politicians and get some of our money back?
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:05 p.m.
Yes, it is called an "election". You can run for office if you don't like the current crop.
a2citizen
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:28 a.m.
I'd be willing to give .10 at the recycle center to get rid of a politician or two.
beardown
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:32 a.m.
Maybe we can start recycling them for .10 a politician?
arborani
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:29 a.m.
Good one.
hmsp
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:52 a.m.
@ TruBlu76, re: "people of "low economic status" practically inundate businesses like grocery stores with their "mined" beverage bottles." Good for them! The community at large is grateful for their cleanup efforts –– those "people of low economic status" did not create those bottles, they merely cleaned up after the slobs that threw them on the ground. I remember back in the 70s, seeing men and women walking along the roads with heavily-laden garbage bags. Man! Did that make a difference, or what? It got to the point where, if you saw a beer can in the woods, you could bet it was an Ohio can, with no deposit. Those people picking up cans weren't altruistic, Greenpeace types, they were just trying to get by, so the Deposit Law ended up benefitting everybody. Complaining about the poor business people? C'mon! Everyone knows that there is a price for pollution, so if those folks want to sell a (completely unnecessary) polluting product, they can do their bit to make sure that it gets cleaned up in the end.
hmsp
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:41 a.m.
Bottled water is a great idea for the military in 3rd-world situations. It is also a great idea in situations where aquifers have been contaminated, especially when the costs involved in supplying this water to the affected populace can be laid at the feet of the polluters in question. And some communities just have bad-tasting water. Bottled water can make life in these communities more pleasant. But the idea that bottled water is healthier does not stand up. It often contains harmful solutes, such as BPA, that leach out of the plastics. So when tap water is bottled and sold, as it often is, the end result is a more polluted product. Water drawn from aquifers is a crapshoot, too, and some commercially-available water comes from aquifers that are already known to be iffy. Also, bottled water is usually as expensive as, or more expensive than, gasoline. I'll admit that I buy a bottle every once in a while, on the rara occasions when I've screwed up, and forgotten to bring my own canteen. But when I do buy a bottle, I refill it from drinking fountains, faucets, etc. There is little justification, at least in the civilized world, for bottled water. But since we're stuck with it, put a deposit on the bottles. It's the least we can do.
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:12 p.m.
"bottled water" Dohhh!
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:11 p.m.
According to comedian Lewis Black, bottle water comes from bath tubs in Pittsburgh.
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:33 a.m.
With 286 respondents at 9:15 PM today: 66.78% voted "Yes" on the expanded bottle bill. I have an idea: let all of these approximately 190 people spend the next month actually trying to handle the returned bottles at the CURRENT RATE of return. It's almost guaranteed that they'd all have a "conversion experience" and go for some other, less filthy, less expensive distraction to business operations. Businesses which are forced by this law to "participate" are almost all against it. A lot of objections are to the filth and threat to proper sanitation. Another reason for their objection is that people of "low economic status" practically inundate businesses like grocery stores with their "mined" beverage bottles. Becky Warren blithely proposes creating a bigger mess and bigger expense - which is disguised under the political practice of bribing the public to agree with such "brilliant" ideas. She knows all about this but is so morally and emotionally and intellectually detached that she continues her pretense. More rational approaches are beyond Senator Becky's ken. Like having a business system of bottle return centers where all effort could be concentrated on sanitation management, equipment maintenance and money handling. Other retail businesses do not feel able to tell the "bottle returners" No. Those same bottle returners are also likely to spend their bottle return money as customers of the retail business. Unless of course, they're told not to return bottles with urine and excrement or gasoline in them. Then - they get real offended and "take their custom somewhere else." I think "Senator" Warren should volunteer to have a bottle return station in her living room before she be allowed to make such a proposal as this.
James
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:32 p.m.
Ever tiresome, you are.
bluetonguedlizard
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:49 p.m.
@Ryan, whilst I hear you on a lot of what you say, small mom and pop stores have to handle more than just what they sell. For eg if a store sells coke they have to take returns on all coke products even if they don't sell all of the line up. At a store i worked at they didn't sell coke in cans only in bottles but there were many customers who brought boxes and boxes of cans and we had to take them. We did (and they still do) with a smile on their face but that adds up to a ton of extra labor and $$ for a product they made no money on and this was all done by hand as the cost of the return machines are prohibitive for a small business. I think returns are a great idea but the State has to be more involved in the return process, somewhat akin to the CA system.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:04 p.m.
So much irrationality in a post demanding rationality.
Ryan J. Stanton
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:19 a.m.
@Tru2Blu76 — I hear you saying this would be a burden to stores that would have to deal with more bottles being returned, but isn't this really just asking them to recycle the waste they helped create? Aren't the stores, in cooperation with beverage distributors, the ones putting all these bottles out there? I know we could argue individual consumers should be responsible for recycling the bottles they purchase, but there's documented proof that just doesn't happen without a financial incentive. So, other than a bottle deposit, what financial incentive would you propose?
Basic Bob
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:07 a.m.
I must be one of those low economic status people who takes garbage bags of my own bottles back to the store in an old T-shirt, jeans, and worn-out sneakers.
arborani
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 2:27 a.m.
I don't know which is more disrespectful - calling Senator Warren "Becky" (did you go to grade school with her?) or putting "Senator" in quotes. For a Republican or a Democrat, regrettably ill-bred.
Tim Hornton
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:29 a.m.
AAnews should "recycle" this picture of the the state senator. I already recycle my bottled water, I don't need to wait in line twice as long to get back a whole $10 for my bottle returns either. She should crawl back into the liberal slime hole she came from and butt out of making lives harder with more fee's and more work.
Superior Twp voter
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:09 p.m.
This particular issue aside, Warren would propose most anything simply to get her name/photo in the media. And then trumpet "Look at me - look what I did."
sayzme
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.
The second comment you've made on the senator's picture. Me thinks someone is obsessed
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:36 p.m.
Tim, widening I-94 will be a massive project at a massive cost. Real estate would have to be acquired from private citizens, a cemetery might be effected, and something like seven or eight bridges would have to be rebuilt. I would like to see it, too, but reality says it's not like widening a stretch of expressway somewhere up north.
dsponini
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
Those "evil libs" trying to make me work hard and recycle....SMH....
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:59 a.m.
And how would you increase the width of I-94 without raising taxes to pay for it? Where would you take the money from?
Tim Hornton
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:54 a.m.
Actually Paul I kind of agree with you, the "R's" are pretty evil too and treat the regular working people like scum. However the governor isn't going to get the new tax because of his own party. The libs would vote for a higher gas tax in a heart beat if they could get one of their money spending programs through in a backdoor deal on this. At least Synder did get our budget together and wants to spend money on stuff to benefit everyone (like roads) which is needed pretty bad. I wish Synder would think bigger though and make 94 and 23 highways around AA 3 lanes. The traffic is getting so bad here its getting dangerous.
Paul
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:49 a.m.
But the R's aren't any better. How does that new gas tax our R governor wants sit with you ?
jcj
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:11 a.m.
Hard to argue against this!
bobslowson
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:09 p.m.
yet....many will try!
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:07 p.m.
Paul You are not being forced to recycle. Go ahead and throw your bottles in the trash. You are merely paying ten cents for that privilege. Most people make a different choice, but do what you want.
jcj
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:07 a.m.
Paul I do not recycle. Do not wear my seat belt all the time. I do not go to the dermatologist as often as I should. But that does not mean those are not good things!
Paul
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:48 a.m.
Oh no, you must enjoy returning bottles to the stores, that you could have recycle yourself with your local trash pick up. I don't need to be forced to recycle and many more folks don't either.
Skyjockey43
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:54 a.m.
Even a stuck clock is right at least twice a day.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:32 p.m.
I was thinking more along the lines of, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then."
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:04 p.m.
Not if it's digital. It stays 88:88 o'clock all the time. That can't be right.
Jim Pryce
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:27 a.m.
This is a great idea, & glad to see it moving forward. Michigan United Conservation Clubs brought this idea forward 5 or so years ago & it didn't go anywhere with the legislators. Maybe this time it will as the Executive Director of MUCC at the time was Dennis Muchmore, who is now Gov. Snyder's right hand man.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:46 p.m.
Yeah, we all pine for the prosperous Granholm years, I know.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:42 p.m.
USUAL, so that is why the state had such a bad economy for the last 10 years? I have lost track of how many posters blame the bad economy on Democrat control of the Michigan government over the last decades. Turns out, the GOP has controlled the laws and purse strings for a while. So, who was responsible for the 14% unemployment rate? The "adults"?
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:31 p.m.
"Since 1993 the GOP has controlled both houses all but 3 years, with the democrats controlling the House in 1998, 2008 and 2009. Republicans have had the Senate since 1986. Since 2003 the GOP has also controlled the AG and Sec State positions. " Clownfish does a very good job of explaining why this state is finally on the way back. The adults are in charge.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:57 a.m.
How about stating TRUE facts, not made up factoids? 5 years ago the GOP controlled the Senate, democrats had the House and Governors office. Since 1993 the GOP has controlled both houses all but 3 years, with the democrats controlling the House in 1998, 2008 and 2009. Republicans have had the Senate since 1986. Since 2003 the GOP has also controlled the AG and Sec State positions. Ignorance is no way to run a state. This stuff is so easy to check. You should be VERY sorry, indeed.
JBK
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:54 a.m.
Jim - not to bring politics into this, but State government looked a lot different 5 years ago. The Governors office, Senate and House were controlled by Democrats. Sorry. Just stating a fact!
Ricardo Queso
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : midnight
I'll support this bill if we can stop recycling state senators.
the major
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:26 p.m.
So I read the headline, and I was instantly against it. Then the article spelled it out and I was 100 percent for it. This is a smart idea, and nobody can deny the underground economy of bottle returns in this town. Let the clean up begin!
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:37 a.m.
The mess which exists already is hidden from the public. This won't be a "clean up" it will be a "mess up."
JBK
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:58 p.m.
I would venture that on any given Saturday at the Big House, there potentially are 100's of dollars of water bottles alone. :)
An Arborigine
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:11 p.m.
why tote more empties back to the retailer and make them bear the cost of disposal. Just recycle the plastic.
a2migrl
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:02 p.m.
@JBK – generalizing that No one recycles is not fair to those of us that do. The water at my home tastes really horrible, I buy bottles water regularly. I also recycle all my containers, paper, cardboard and anything else I find. It is more affordable (I know not in the long run) for me to pick up a case or two of water than to install a whole house system. It is a mindset that needs to be changed and taught to our children from a small age. Recycling takes up space in the house that people feel they don't have. Reduce the size of the trash can and put in recycle.
dexterreader
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:22 p.m.
JBK .... you won't get blasted because you are correct. If people actually recycled the containers, it would be a viable option. But they don't.
JBK
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:52 a.m.
Because NO one recycles. They cannot be trusted. I work in the 777 bldg here off of State & Eisenhower and the company provides these massive recycle bins for plastic, tin, cardboard, etc.. People just do NOT recycle. Not sure if it is spite or ignoranace. I will reach into the garbage and pull the empty container out and place it in the recycle bin. :) I am sure I will get blasted here, but I do the best I can.
mgoscottie
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:05 p.m.
Why didn't they in the first place? I know that bottles for water have much less plastic because they don't need to withstand the huge pressure in a sealed pop bottle....
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 9:15 p.m.
Also remember that the problem is that people are carrying these things around with them, drinking them as they go, until they have an empty container to dispose of. Too often the disposing was just pitching it somewhere. This was very unlikely to happen with gallon jugs of water, etc. And, for all those saying why don't we expand it to all recyclable items - realize the problem. Not too many people wander around with their jugs of Downy softener until they are empty, then just pitch them....
ThinkingOne
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 8:53 p.m.
At that time about the only way you could buy water was to buy it by the gallon jug; from a company (like Absopure) for your drinking fountain; or a bottle of Perrier. Gallon jugs were off the list because then you would have to do gallons of milk. You didn't have to worry about people throwing away 5 or 10 gallon jugs of water from their coolers. And really, how much Perrier was there to worry about - how much imported water in a bottle can people want? Similar type of logic for pure juices.
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 5:03 p.m.
I don't remember being able to purchase water in a bottle then. It may have existed but if it did I certainly didn't buy it and can't recall anyone who did. We just grabbed a glass and turned on the faucet.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:29 p.m.
Back when the original law was enacted, people knew it was ridiculous to pay money for a bottle of water, sport drinks barely existed, and pretty much everybody drank pop.
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:01 p.m.
I suspect they started with a product which had experienced success with deposit programs in other places and was, relatively, easy to implement. I can see why they would want to take their time to evaluate whether the program is successful.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:40 p.m.
My understanding is that roadside litter was immeasurable reduced when the beer and carbonated beverages deposit was put in place. I was kind of young at the time so I don't really remember. This could be a good thing.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:26 p.m.
"Blew out my flip flop / Stepped on a pop top" - Jimmy Buffet
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:59 a.m.
Remember the ubiquitous soda can tabs that filled beaches an cut your feet? They did, however, make fine jewelry.
jcj
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:10 a.m.
Usual Your understanding is correct. When I was a kid I remember my dad driving slow down dirt roads so we could look for bottles and that was when the deposit was 2cents. We did not have much in the early 50's!
Solitude
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:02 p.m.
It was, practically overnight. In the early 70's, empty bottles and cans were literally everywhere...parks, beaches, roadsides, etc. After the bottle law was passed, it was very rare to ever see an empty bottle or can lying around anywhere.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:43 p.m.
"Immeasurable?" Make that, "immediately."
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:38 p.m.
Trash in our environment is a pressing problem. We already have the infrastructure in place. Expanding the program to water bottles won't be a major burden and will have great benefits. Just don't be trying to bring your out of state bottles back for a refund. Newman.
Piledriver
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:31 p.m.
This once great state of Michigan is falling apart and going to hell in a handbasket, and this is an example of a pressing issue our esteemed politicians up in Lansing are wasting their time on? Let's tackle school budget reform, unemployment, the crumbling roads, bridges and other infrastructure, crime, public safety, etc. before we focus on these feel-good pet project type legislation. And don't start giving me any crap that it's the republicans' fault or the democrats' fault.....one party is just as bad as the other and both are to blame! Until both sides learn to work together towards the common good of their constituents, both parties can go to hell.
JB SHOOTER
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.
The environment is an important issue. Our landfills should not have this stuff in there. I visit Kentucky a couple of times a year and the trash by the side of the road always surprises me. How about an incentive for the bottle return machines to be made in Michigan? I can only see this type of recycling growing-involving other states sooner or later.
clownfish
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.
Bottled water companies will leave the state? I doubt it.
leaguebus
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 6:18 a.m.
I am sure that I would much rather see this bottle bill pass than more limits on a woman's bodies, tax increases on seniors and the poor, and whatever else our "Holier Than Thou" state legislature can come up with.
Paul
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:45 a.m.
More regulations just runs more businesses out of Michigan. Its cheaper to do business in states such as Ohio, one reason Ohio has more national chain businesses.
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:41 a.m.
Well, Piledriver, you can see the "thanks" you get for pointing out the frivolity of politicians. Don't let the "negative votes" get to you. Your the sane one. :-) The rest: are political fanboys and fangirls who haven't yet figured out how they're being manipulated and duped into supporting, as you say, feel-good laws.
Doug
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:17 a.m.
Indeed - this isn't a zero-sum game.
Usual Suspect
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
What is with this mindset that the only thing that can be done is the most pressing issue? People can multitask.
cibachrome
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:26 p.m.
All containers: oil, soap, washer fluid, etc. I'm part of Adopt-A-Highway and the stuff that is tossed away should be included. Why send it to a landfill when it can be chopped, melted or dissolved back into raw stock, building materials or food additives ?
Lola
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 4:58 p.m.
Food additives? Gak! I'd rather not eat plastic, thank you.
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:55 a.m.
I'm not sure the deposit program would be as effective for such containers. Consumers have adopted the concept of paying deposits and returning drinking containers. When you go to soap, washer fluid, etc. it becomes a bigger burden and it would be less successful. If you really want to get to such things there has to be mandatory recycling and real recycling after the bin is picked up. It worked very well in England when I lived there a few years ago.
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:25 p.m.
Great idea. Too many people refuse to recycle them, and even drink them unnecessarily. Whole house filters are much more cost effective and convenient, and yet some people keep buying cases of plastic bottled water and throwing away the bottles with their trash.
Usual Suspect
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:23 p.m.
"and even drink them unnecessarily" Which is for them to decide for themselves. At least for now.
David Briegel
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 12:07 p.m.
Gelman/Pall 's Dioxane can't be filtered!
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:51 a.m.
Do they have bottled water in Russia? If so, where does it come, from Chernobyl Springs?
Evergreen
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:14 a.m.
Why are we drinking water out of a petroleum product anyway?
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 3:40 a.m.
From the context of his comment, it is clear that Nicholas seems to feel he/she gets to judge if it is OK or not and under what circumstances for people to drink bottled water. I don't want a filter. I like bottled water. Sorry, until I wake up in Russia, I think I can decide what type of water is "necessary" and what type isn't. Perhaps some people feel filtered water is "unnecessary". DIdn't Gelman make water filters? How did that go for the environment?
Doug
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:16 a.m.
No "water police" here - from the context of his comment, it is obvious that Nick merely meant that too many drink from plastic bottles unnecessarily, when they can just as easily fill bottles with tap water (filtered tap water, if they wish).
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:15 p.m.
"....and even drink them unnecessarily." Huh? Who made you the water police? Who gets to decide what it unnecessary?
Tom
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:22 p.m.
I'm not a fan of the Senator nor for more government mandates and intrusion but considering that plastic uses valuable oil which we need for transportation, this seems to be a reasonable proposal. Based on some statistics, less than 5% of all plastic bottles are recycled. i suspect this will jack up the price of bottled water but in this case we should support it.
garrisondyer
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:10 p.m.
I think something older and more primitive needs to be tried. Drinking water not from a sealed, plastic bottle that huge corporate interests filled with the exact same water that would've been consumed by you had you simply opened the tap in your house.
craigjjs
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:48 a.m.
Perhaps all toddlers should be rounded up annually and taught manners and to clean up after themselves. That would not be frivolous.
regularjoe
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 11:41 a.m.
"Something new and less frivolous must be tried." Such as....?
Tru2Blu76
Thu, Jun 13, 2013 : 1:55 a.m.
Just a reminder: the volume of petroleum-based plastics increases with population. As does just about all forms of consumption / recycling / dumping, etc. Eating and drinking are very primitive activities. The human species eats and drinks (along with "related activities") much like our closest anthropoid relatives (chimps, baboons and gorillas). We are, by our nature and evolution, a messy, unsanitary species. We are definitely not yet evolved in the a "recycling species" or into one which is happy to clean up its own messes. Refundable bottle deposits was a good idea for a time (but then, we've gone from a nation of 200 million to over 300 million during that time). Something new and less frivolous must be tried.
Solitude
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 10:19 p.m.
"Should the state of Michigan's 10-cent deposit on bottles be expanded to include water and most other bottled beverages?" Yes. Please. The sooner the better. Of course, the grocers and the beverage industry will announce that an expanded bottle law will destroy both of their entire industries, but that's the same thing they said in the 70's. Ignore them and get it done.
JBK
Wed, Jun 12, 2013 : 11:08 p.m.
Solitude - Great point and I might add, do not stop there. Also place a deposit on liquor and wine bottles. This would help clean up Ypsi!:) lol