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Ecology Center & Allies Boost Bigger Better Bottle Bill

Call for Legislative Action This Year

By Ted Sylvester
August/September Issue, 2004

Michigan residents, when asked in a recent survey, overwhelming favored expanding Michigan’s Bottle Bill to include non-carbonated beverages. The survey results, announced at a Lansing press conference in the spring by the Bigger Better Bottle Bill Coalition, show that 74% of registered voters in the state support adding a 10-cent deposit to non-carbonated drinks such as water, juice, and ice tea.

About 750 million non-carbonated beverages are sold in Michigan each year, or about 20% of all beverage sales. Michigan’s Bottle Bill is the best in the country, recovering over 95% of the state’s returnable bottles and cans. But many of the popular single-serve beverages today did not exist when the Bottle Bill was passed in 1976 and are now littering our roadsides and parks.

“Our survey results,” said Jeff Irwin, Executive Director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, “show the issue crosses both party lines and the rural-city divide.” Fifty-six percent of the public supports an expanded bottle bill to control litter, while another 28% support the measure to promote recycling and to help the environment.

“We’ve given the Legislature ample time to act on this issue,” said Sam Washington, MUCC Executive Director. “We’ve got to fix this litter problem before it gets worse. If the Legislature doesn’t work to expand the Bottle Bill by the end of the year, we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”

"...many of the popular single-serve beverages today did not exist when the Bottle Bill was passed in 1976 and are now littering our roadsides and parks."

Members of the Bigger BetterBottle Bill Coalition include the Ecology Center, Container Recycling Institute, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, National Wildlife Federation, Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, and Sierra Club.

“The four billion bottles and cans recycled each year under Michigan’s Bottle Bill save energy and reduce air pollution,” explained Mike Garfield, Executive Director of the Ecology Center. “The energy alone saved from recycling these containers is equivalent to 300,000 barrels of oil. That’s enough to fuel 100,000 cars per month!”

NOTE: Copies of the survey results are posted at www.mucc.org. The survey of 1,000 registered voters in Michigan was conducted by Public Policy Associates and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

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