DC Bag Bill!
DC passed a Bag Bill that will require a 5 cent charge on all bags starting in 2010.
Great News!
Labels: Bag Bill, DC, Washington
A Blog dedicated to reporting the latest news and information on Bottle Bills, otherwise known as Beverage Container Deposit Legislation.
DC passed a Bag Bill that will require a 5 cent charge on all bags starting in 2010.
Labels: Bag Bill, DC, Washington
Just happened to notice that you have been evaluating the website. While I haven't been posting on it in about two years I would still love to get any feedback about the site.
I am also copying this from the minutes to the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association Meeting. Thanks for the information. We look forward to this bill passing and moving the Free State to be truly "Litter Free".
Report on Maryland Bottle Bill meeting, Saturday, Feb. 10, at the office of Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association in Baltimore
About a month ago, "Living On Earth", the public radio show. Had a story about the Garbage Vortex. This is where all the plastic that ends up in the ocean accumulates. There are 5 vortexes around the world. The show had a great segment documenting this major issue, but I thought they could have spoken to someone about some solutions to this problem. Since they didn't I pitched in my 2 cents and in a letter proposed a National Bottle Deposit and a National Bill to charge people for bags at stores. Both of these would greatly increase our recycling rate and would really help us to clean up our country.
Our interview about the trash vortex in the Pacific Ocean where garbage, mostly plastic, accumulates in an area the size of Texas brought this two-bit solution from Eric Durland of Silver Spring, Maryland. He suggests a national bottle bill—a 25-cent deposit on all plastic, aluminum and glass bottles and cans, and a quarter charge for plastic bags.
This is a letter against the proposed bottle bill. The writer brings up some points which need to be clarified and discussed.
Concerning the so-called “bottle bill,” years ago when they changed from glass to aluminum and plastic, the whole idea was “no deposit, no return.” Stores don’t have any place to store the empty cans. Also, they don’t want to pay someone just to take care of cans. People are not going to return six or 12 cans at a time. They are going to wait until they have a garbage bag full. Are you going to have a return center in every community? People are not going to spend more for gas to take the cans 25 or 30 miles to a center than they will get for the cans. The center will need a building, a crusher, and one to four people to work there. (Remember, all those cans have to be counted.) Who is going to pay for all that? A lot of people collect cans, take them to a recycling center and get 65 to 70 cents a pound for them. They use the money to buy their medicine, pay for their vacation or other extras. This bill hurts people who already recycle, because it is going to cost them a lot of money!
Thelma Neal
Gauley Bridge
Linda Frame is the Program Manager for the West Virginia Citizen Action Group. She is one of those leading the charge to get a bottle deposit bill in West Virginia. She is right. It is time to clean up our streets, parks, streams and rivers. Throwing trash on the ground is not a right. Picking up trash is a responsibility. It is time we stop letting the bottling industry say that throwing trash on the ground is a right.
If you are in Charleston or if you can get to Charleston on Thursday, February 8th, 2007 it would be a great time to stop by your legislators office and let them know you support the bottle bill that is coming up again this year. Lots of momentum this year and it can happen.
Plan to Attend ~ February 8 ~ Bottle Bill Lobby Day
Our sponsors are signed on and the 2007 Bottle Bill should be introduced in both the House and Senate next week. There is a tremendous backlog of bills this year, however, we are excited about our support from new and veteran legislators alike and will be lobbying the bill heavily over the next few weeks.
Speaking of lobbying, what are YOU doing on Thursday, February 8? Please come to the Capitol and join us for a Lobby Day and Press Conference for the Bottle Bill. We will meet at 10:00 AM in the upper rotunda in front of Robert C. Byrd’s statue and lobby Senators and Delegates. Then at 12:00 noon we will meet in front of the governor’s office for a press conference. We hope the bill will be under consideration by a committee at that time so we need to show legislators the support that is out there for the Bottle Bill. Please bring any visuals you may have - photos, etc. We will help you find your legislators and make the best use of your valuable time. Please let me know if you can attend by contacting me at linda@wvcag.org or 304-346-5891. Thanks!
Cristy Baker in Silver Spring thinks that it is time for a bottle deposit here in Maryland. She says that Michigan is much cleaner with a bottle bill and thinks that the 30 foot wall of bottles she saw in the inner harbor of Baltimore is a disgrace.
There is another blog for Maryland! I'm HONORED to make this post and add the link to my blog. I look forward to hearing more from this blogger and doing what I can to help the cause to pass a bottle bill here in Maryland.
Here is the best information on the bottle bill so far! Please be aware that Delegate Pete Hammen has another proposal for a bottle bill for Maryland so the final bill might look a bit different.
The only question now is would the Washington Area Bicyclist Association support a bottle bill now?
Interesting Bottle Bill Article from Time Magazine. Mentions Maryland's 10 year fight for a bottle bill at that time.
The Greenbelt City Council has expressed interest in a bottle bill. They note that it should be a Statewide effort. Maybe those that live in Greenbelt could get the council to pass some kind of declaration in support of a bottle bill on the state level.
There are so many good reasons to introduce a bottle bill for Maryland. Here are the top ten.
Someone thinks that it is time for DC to also have a Bottle Bill. I encourage everyone to encourage DC and VA to sign on to a Bottle Bill. A regional solution is the best way to protect the Bay.