2019 Sees Increase in State Bottle Bill Proposals

So far in 2019, at least six states have proposed bottle bills to ramp up efforts to recycle beverage containers. Bills currently have been proposed in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia.

According to a Recycling Today report, Susan Collins, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute, said although lawmakers propose bottle bills every year, having six different states with active proposals is higher than usual.

Recycling Today has more details:

Lawmakers in at least six states released proposed legislation to add bottle bills so far in 2019. Bills have been proposed in Arkansas (House Bill 1771), Florida (Senate Bill 853), Illinois (House Bill 2651), New Jersey (Assembly Bill 1710), Tennessee (House Bill 0814 and Senate Bill 0885) and West Virginia (House Bill 3120).

Arkansas state House Rep. Vivian Flowers (D-Pine Bluff) filed HB 1771 on March 11 in hopes of introducing a bottle bill. The state last proposed legislation in 2007, but according to a news release from KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas, proposed legislation “appears to have bipartisan support.”

Susan Collins, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute, Culver City, California, says lawmakers in various states propose bottle bills every year; however, she adds that seeing six different states with active proposals is a little on the “high side.”

Read the full article here.