Posted on: Monday, April 16, 2001
Bottle bill heading for final touches
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Environment Writer
The state's beverage container deposit bill has passed both houses in the state Legislature and is headed for conference committee this week.
But the bill still faces strong opposition from the beverage industry, which argues it is too expensive for small business.
The bottle bill's sponsor, Rep. Mina Morita, D-12th (N. Kaua'i, E. Maui), said the bill has been modified to address concerns as they have been raised, but the industry still opposes it.
Industry representatives say recycling legislation should be more broadly applied to cover more than just beverage containers, although they admit a bottle bill will produce the best recycling rates.
Many of the concerns that small stores have about taking in empties have been addressed in the modified bill, said Suzanne Jones, recycling coordinator for the City and County of Honolulu.
Small retailers with less than 5,000 square feet of space are exempted, as are those in financial hardship, and those with a recycling center within a mile of their locations. Distributors do not have to accept empties; they go straight to recycling companies.
Recycling firms say they are prepared to place recycling facilities at any store willing to have them, and can do so for the 2-cent nonrefundable fee to be assessed each beverage container.
"The way the bill is designed, I think its impact on business is reasonable," Jones said.
Morita said a bottle bill reduces the impact on the counties, which otherwise must pick up the slack with litter control and recycling programs.
"The bottom line is a policy call: Are we going to do it through a user fee like this, or through property taxes," she said.
The bill initially called for a 5-cent refundable fee on bottles up to 24 ounces, and 15 cents for bigger containers.
The deposit amount has been removed from the Senate version of the legislation, meaning it will have to be worked out in the conference committee.
