Understanding New York's Proposed 'Bottle Bill'
The ‘Bottle Bill’ is a law enacted in the eighties that advocates say needs an update. It's the law that allows you to take your cans and bottles and redeem them for 5 cents each, but a lot of people don't know that not all bottles and cans can be redeemed, and a group of environmental advocates have been calling on lawmakers for years now to change that. They want more containers to be covered under the law, and the deposit raised from 5 cents to 10 cents. Erica Smitka from the League of Women Voters of New York State is one of the advocates calling for that change:
| Erica Smitka | "We are already seeing the effects of climate change in our state with an increase in extreme temperatures, extreme storms, adverse health effects, and stress on our ecosystems. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, waste is accountable for 12% of all greenhouse gas emissions in New York state. So modernizing a bill that would increase recycling and reduce litter should be a no-brainer." |
It's something that's been on the table for several years now without much action. So we'll see if that changes next year.
THIS INTERVIEW IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST VERSION AND HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY.
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New housing plan, new chief judge, WFP election strategy, examining NY's "Bottle Bill."