Bottle Bill Dies in Conference Committee
Legislators decide to take the bottle bill amendment out of the jobs act.
The bottle bill will not make it to the governor's desk this year. The controversial proposal was included as an amendment to the Senate jobs bill but scrapped Monday in conference committee, according to an aide to its sponsor, Sen. Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth). The jobs bill is expected to be laid before Gov. Deval Patrick Tuesday, the last day of the legislative session. The amendment had faced strong opposition in the House, with Speaker Robert DeLeo describing it as a tax. Hedlund disputed this view, saying that taxes can't be redeemed. The expansion to the 31-year-old law designed to promote recycling and reduce litter would have added plastic bottles used for water, juices, iced tea and sports drinks to the list of containers …
Maryanne Jefferson
3:54 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
It's not about the nickel deposit. Smaller stores have to redeem these bottles as long as they carry the product. Each vendor will only accept bottles back from brands they distribute. Therefore these smaller grocers have to sort bottles by size and vendor. That takes time and space, which be better used for more important things. Of course if you live on the NH boarder and you have a choice … more ›