ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE GAINED AS WELL

View Letter

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today in a letter urged Governor George A. Pataki to support the expansion of the New York State Container Act through the passage of a modified version of the "Bigger Better Bottle Bill." The bill would impose a deposit on non-carbonated, so-called "new age" beverages, thereby removing these containers from New York's waste stream and generating an estimated $100 million a year for the City. It would also save the City money because it would not have to collect or dispose of unredeemed containers that are placed in the trash.

"New York City has not yet solved its daunting problem of how and where to dispose of its trash," said Comptroller Thompson. "No matter how the City finally addresses its waste disposal needs in the post-Fresh Kills era, it will be vastly more expensive than disposing of its waste on Staten Island. The 'Bigger Better Bottle Bill' squarely confronts this problem and offers an environmentally, economically and operationally sound step toward a solution."

Unredeemed nickel deposits on carbonated beverages sold in the City account for approximately $80 million annually, all of which is now kept by bottlers or distributors. Unredeemed deposits based on New York City sales of non-carbonated beverages could amount to an estimated $20 million each year. Thus, the total value of unredeemed carbonated and non-carbonated deposits produced in the City could generate as much as $100 million annually for the City. Provisions within the bill would require beverage distributors to place unclaimed deposits into a State refund account, but the Comptroller has called for an amendment to that provision to direct to the City the share of unredeemed deposits attributable to beverages purchased in the five boroughs.

"The funds generated from this bill could be used by New York City to defray the costs of its recycling program and to support related economic initiatives that would be a real boon in these fiscally difficult times," Thompson noted.

In addition, environmental and anti-litter benefits would also be derived from passage of this legislation. The "Bigger Better Bottle Bill" would encourage the recycling and reuse of thousands of tons of metal, glass and plastic containers from a fast-growing segment of the beverage market that barely existed when the original law was enacted in 1982.

To increase the effectiveness of the bill, the Comptroller recommends deleting the provision that forbids transfer stations and landfills from delivering or receiving solid waste that contains recyclable materials. This amendment would remove restrictions from the operations of municipal waste management and recycling programs that disregard markets, budgets and operational conditions.

"By capturing non-carbonated beverage containers now disposed of in the trash or that become street litter blighting residential neighborhoods, parks, beaches and business districts, the quality of life in our communities will be improved without additional costs to local governments around the State," Thompson added.

# # #