water bottle bill
Posted by: Matt McCormick | From: May 24, 2007
OREGON Future Awesome...
Deposits on the way for bottled water from from The Oregonian:
Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, Oregonians will have to plunk down a nickel deposit on every bottle of water they buy. A proposal adding water to the list of beverage containers covered under Oregon's Bottle Bill law sailed through the House Thursday on a 42-16 vote. The Senate, which already passed Senate Bill 707, must agree to minor amendments. Then the bill is off to the governor for signing. Democrats --and Republican Rep. Vicki Berger --celebrated Thursday's House vote as the first major update of Oregon's landmark bottle recycling law in 36 years.
Holding a bottle of water in her hand during floor debate, Berger said: "Who would have envisioned in 1971, that Oregonians would have embraced this product?"
In fact, Oregonians buy nearly 200 million bottles of water each year and most are not recycled. The state Department of Environmental Quality estimates that Oregonians trash as many as 126 million bottles every year.
Oregon grocers continued to fight the measure, arguing that their stores will be swamped with bottles creating both hygiene and storage problems. The industry has put forward a counter-proposal that would move bottle returns out of the stores.
If grocers fail in the Legislature, an industry lobbyist said Thursday that they will collect signatures for a 2008 ballot initiative. --Michelle Cole
What I don't understand is why people don't simply wash and reuse their water bottles. True, after several uses they're ready to be recycled -- but still. What a waste to use them once then toss them.
Posted by: Annye at July 13, 2007 1:27 PM
Yeah! I'm in!
Posted by: Mikey at May 24, 2007 5:14 PM