Vermont Governor Vetoes Bottle Redemption Expansion Bill

Earlier this week, Vermont Governor Phil Scott vetoed a bill that would have significantly expanded the state’s beverage deposit law.

Last week, the legislature passed the bill during a veto session in Montpelier. Under the bill, sports drinks, water bottles, wine bottles, and many more would be added to the state’s 50-year-old program.

Scott said that he believes it is just not necessary and would lead to increased fees for Vermont residents. Scott continued to say that the state should increase its recycling efforts, instead of expanding bottle redemption.

Adding to that, Scott believes the expansion could hurt lower-income residents across Vermont as not everyone has expansion centers nearby or cars to travel to those centers. Lastly, Scott doesn’t want to add more steps to the recycling process as, he claims, more steps equal more costs, which could lead to more spending.

"It's like a Rube Goldberg approach to recycling," Scott said. "I mean, think about all the process, all the steps in the way when you have to recycle and redeem your deposits, and what about those areas that don’t have redemption centers?"

The legislature would have to wait until the next session in January to attempt an override on the veto.

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