Environmentalists Push To Revisit New York's 'Bottle Bill'
Spectrum News 1 | January 19, 2022
Environmentalists are pushing to modernize the New York State Returnable Container Act, also known as the “Bottle Bill,” as it nears 40 years since its enactment.
The bill put a 5-cent deposit on aluminum, plastic and glass beverage containers to encourage recycling.
Environmentalist Judith Enck said the bill has been successful, and added that aluminum cans with a deposit on them have seen a 78% recycling rate vs. a 36% recycling rate on non-deposit cans — a difference evident across the board.
“It’s quite remarkable that a modest deposit makes such a difference,” said Enck.