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December 13, 2006
Deposit bill is one step to eliminate litter problem
People with a little gray in their hair can remember the days before
beverages came in plastic throw-away containers. When you gave the grocer the
dime for a bottle of pop, you either gave him an empty bottle or paid a few
cents deposit on the full bottle. For some people, the deposit was part of the
cost of a bottle of pop. Once the bottle was empty, it ended up in a ditch,
waiting to be collected by someone looking for some extra cash.
Those days ended when metal and plastic containers replaced glass. At about
that time, a national anti-litter movement was developing. For 40 years at
least, people have been urged to prevent litter. Some of us can remember slogans
such as "Every litter bit hurts."
In some places, the battle is being won. These areas have practically no
litter along public roadways because people don't toss litter out their car
windows. Other places, including too, too many in the Tri-State, are litter
magnets.
For five years, the West Virginia Legislature has considered a bill levying a
10-cent deposit fee on all glass, plastic or aluminum drink containers, except
for dairy products. The idea, backers say, is to reduce the amount of litter on
the state's roadways, create space in landfills and encourage recycling,
according to The Associated Press. Retailers would collect the deposit fee and
forward it to the state treasurer, who would use it to pay handling fees for
redemption centers. Consumers would redeem their deposit money in exchange for
empty containers.
Nonprofit and community groups could function as redemption centers, raising
money in the process.
Currently, 11 states have such deposit programs, with a number of others
considering them. In that second group are Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia.
Opponents of a deposit law say such a program would result in the largest tax
hike the state has seen in years. Perhaps. It would be good to get some solid
numbers for the public debate.
Litter control is not high on the agenda of the Legislature's leadership, and
Gov. Joe Manchin hasn't said much about reducing this blight upon the state's
landscape. If enough people who don't like litter complain, things could change.
When the national anti-litter campaign began decades ago, indoor smoking was the
norm and nonsmokers were expected to accommodate the smoking majority. As the
anti-smoking campaign has shown, people can change such behavior, given the
right incentive.
The bill that has been introduced in the Legislature is a good starting point
for discussion, but there are other points to ponder here. For one, much of the
litter along roadways consists of the remains of fast food packaging: soft drink
cups, sandwich wrappers, french fries boxes. Any fee on beverage containers
should apply to fast food packaging, too. Also, some dairy products are sold in
single-serving containers that are the same size as soft drink bottles.
And rather than funding a recycling bureaucracy, money from bottle and fast
food deposits should be spent removing litter. Also, there are plenty of people
in the regional jail system who could be put to work picking up litter along
roads. And some people who are convicted of misdemeanors can be sentenced to
picking up litter rather than spending time in jail.
West Virginia's experience has shown that slogans don't work in preventing
litter. This kind of behavior modification could require some economic
incentives.
Those incentives would not be necessary if people were a little more
considerate and kept their empty containers in their cars or carried them to the
nearest trash receptacle.
The deposit law might not be the answer. But for now, it's the only answer on
the table. If people can get as angry about litter as they do about smoking,
something might change.
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