I would like to echo the support expressed by Cindy Dillon of the importance of a bottle bill in Maryland (“Marylanders need to support bottle bill”). I walk and bike throughout Wicomico County and am saddened by all the litter along roads, mostly beverage containers.
Bottle bills are a proven, sustainable method of capturing beverage bottles and cans for recycling. A deposit is paid on the beverage at the time of purchase and is refunded when the container is brought back to a redemption location. The refund value of the container provides a monetary incentive to return the container for recycling. Bottle bills not only reduce litter and improve recycling but also protect the environment and decrease the need for new beverage container production because many can be reused.
The bottle bills currently before the Maryland General Assembly (House Bill 232 and Senate Bill 364), if passed, would significantly decrease the litter problem in Wicomico County. The bill is budget-neutral, so it doesn’t negatively affect the deficit that Maryland is currently facing.
There are 10 states that have implemented bottle bills and have seen positive effects (tomra.com). There are 5.5 billion beverage containers sold in Maryland every year, many of which are discarded on roads, waterways and beaches. It is time for Maryland to take a step to do something about this.
Maggi Gallaher
Wicomico County, Maryland
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
