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Recycling In the NewsAlbany Democrat-Herald - 2007-05-25
House approves bottle bill expansion (new window)SALEM — If you buy bottled water, you’ll be paying a nickel deposit on each container starting in January 2009. The bill is expected to win final approval and be signed into law soon by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. Backers hailed the bill as a major updating of the law that will keep millions of containers out of landfills. Oregonians buy nearly 200 million bottles of water each year, and state environmental officials estimate as many as 125 million of those bottles are thrown away, instead of being recycled. Other states with bottle laws are Vermont, Maine, Michigan, Iowa, Massachusetts, Delaware, New York, California and Hawaii. But right now, only Maine and Hawaii put a nickel deposit on water bottles, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Environmentalists and recycling advocates had hoped to expand Oregon’s bottle deposit law even more to include all the bottles from teas, sports drinks, gourmet coffees and juices now littering Oregon roadsides and which are covered under some of the other states’ laws. Still, proponents of the bill called it a significant updating of a law that has already resulted in the recycling of billions of containers but which no longer reflects changes in consumer products. “Who would have envisioned in 1971 that Oregonians would embrace this product?’’ state Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, said as she held up a bottle of water in her hand during Thursday’s debate on the bill. The measure passed despite opposition from some Republican lawmakers who said grocers shouldn’t be forced to accept an expansion that brings more empties into their stores, creating potential health problems caused by unsanitary containers. “I have a problem with putting this expansion on the backs of grocers,’’ said state Rep. Fred Girod of Stayton. In fact, the Northwest Grocery Association said it is considering taking the issue to Oregon’s November 2008 ballot by sponsoring an initiative that would take the bottle returns out of stores by creating redemption centers where beverage containers could be taken. Still, Salem resident Theresa Lewis said she enjoys the convenience of being able to take her bottles and cans to her neighborhood grocery store, and she supports expanding the deposit law to water bottles. “I don’t mind paying the 5 cents on water bottles if it means more recycling. Hopefully, there will be less garbage on the streets,’’ the 39-year-old teacher’s aide said. |