By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist

A national bottle recycling bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

The national bill was introduced by Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, is one of the five sponsors of the bill. All five come from states with bottle laws to encourage recycling.

Hawai'i's beverage container recycling law doesn't go into effect until the start of 2005, but its supporters say they like the idea of a national bill.

"I am very happy Sen. Akaka understands that this issue must be addressed on a national level by the beverage industry to deal with the 'opala that is a recycling burden and solid-waste nightmare for our communities," said state Rep. Mina Morita, D-14th (Kapa'a-Hanalei), a spark plug behind Hawai'i's bill.

One of the key differences between the Hawai'i law and the National Beverage Container Producer Responsibility Act of 2003 is that the Hawai'i bill has government and private recyclers at the center of the recycling effort. The Jeffords bill puts the onus on beverage companies. "Industry would have the flexibility to devise the most cost-effective means to meet the goal" of 80 percent recycling, he said.

Another difference between the two is that the Hawai'i law has a 5-cent deposit on containers, while the Jeffords bill sets it at 10 cents.

The Container Recycling Institute, in a fact sheet issued in response to the bill, said that in Michigan, where the deposit is a dime, recycling runs 95 percent. In states where it's a nickel, the average is 70 percent. The 10-cent deposit appears to be a "meaningful level" for encouraging recycling, the organization said.

Only 10 states (not including Hawai'i) have bottle laws, and those 10 recycle more bottles and cans than all the other states combined, Jeffords said. It appears clear financial incentives improve recycling success, he said.

The bottling industry has fought bottle bills aggressively, arguing that other forms of recycling, such as curbside collection of recyclables, are more cost effective and thorough. The industry also argues that bottle bills amount to taxes, taking money out of the economy by government mandate and, thus, inhibiting economic growth.

Bottle bill advocates argue container recycling is more effective, and that curbside recycling doesn't address the fact that large numbers of single-drink containers are consumed away from home.

A number of environmental and recycling organizations — but no bottling companies — have endorsed the Jeffords bill.

Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's Kaua'i Bureau Chief and its science and environment writer. Reach him at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 245-3074.