Michigan’s 10 cent beverage and container deposit rate is the highest in the country - and so is our recycling rate on these beverage containers. According to the Bottle Bill Resource Guide, our return rate is 97.2%. That’s impressive. Unfortunately, we throw away about 80% of our disposable water and sports drink containers. Now, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs are pushing for legislators to make these containers subject to the same law before their July 4th recess.
Approved in 1976, the bottle law was very controversial but supported overwhelmingly by a 2-1 vote. Implemented in December 1978, it had an immediate impact. I remember it well - my brother was married in January of ‘79. The hall that they rented allowed my parents to bring their own alcohol and pop. (Soda for all of you who are out of state!) It was quite a production returning them. A huge red van filled to capacity with cans. But it was a great thing. Litter was reduced overnight, and a cottage industry of can collection sprung up. To this day, high school teams run fundraisers for their teamsby collecting your returnables on your porch and taking the cash.
Including water bottles and sports bottles would help tremedously. Litter has been on the increase. I walk a lot for exercise, and I’m amazed by the number of these bottles that I see thrown in the little patches of green space around the schools and all along the roadside. I don’t see the pop cans or beer cans like I did so many years ago - just those that aren’t covered by the deposit. I’m also appalled by the number of sporting events I go to that don’t offer any recycling options - only a bin for returnables. Nonreturnables go right into the garbage and then right into the landfill.
Retailers are understandably upset by it. The investment in equipment and man hours to sort returnables is considerable. And, with food prices on the rise and consumers limiting their discretionary purchases, they must be feeling the squeeze. Currently, 25% of all unredeemed deposits go to the stores and 75% to the state for environmental programs. In this miserable Michigan economy, I’m not sure that’s a fair enough balance to compensate for their huge mandatory commitment.
Given the numbers, I’m in full support of including water and sport containers in these bills. However, I don’t think we’ve done enough to support recycling statewide. Only 30% of Michigan residents have access to curbside recycling. A state with the most progressive, successful bottle bill in the nation should be more concerned about all of our recycling - not just bottles. Recycling costs money, but it also creates jobs. The fact that 80% of all non-deposit containers get thrown into a landfill would certainly be a lot lower if convenient recycling were available to residents statewide!
