Plastics News has been a tenacious supporter of bottle-deposit legislation. Sometimes we feel like a voice crying in the wilderness — after all, it´s been 16 years since a deposit program has been introduced in any state.
Expanded deposits would go a long way toward solving the industry´s stagnant recycling record. They´d also provide reclaimers with a clean stream of bottles that have too much value to be thrown in the trash.
We´re anxious to support new efforts to introduce deposits in Kentucky and Hawaii.
Still, our enthusiasm is dulled when we see boosters of those programs making spurious connections between deposits and landfill space.
Please be clear: Deposits programs would not reduce the need for landfills. Packaging is not the landfill bugaboo that ill-informed critics may contend.
Deposits are a terrific way to deal with litter problems. But packaging alone shouldn´t be expected to shoulder the burden of any landfill-related problems, which more typically are the result of poor planning or lack of political willpower.
