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Rebuttals To Arguments Against the
WV Container Recycling and Litter Control Act (Bottle Bill)
Prepared by the West Virginia Citizen Action Group,
www.wvbottlebill.org, 304-346-5891
Myth: Beverage Containers make up just 8% of litter. Fact: Beverage containers comprise 40-60% of litter. Bottle bills significantly reduce container litter AND other types of litter. Following the implementation of bottle bills in various states, container litter was reduced by 69 to 84%, while total litter was reduced by 34-64%.
Myth: The Bottle Bill creates a tax. Fact: The bottle bill would place a 10-cent DEPOSIT on beverage containers that would be fully refundable.
Myth: Bottle Bills are expensive. Fact: The 11 bottle bill states recycle 490 containers per capita per year at a cost of 1.53 cents/unit. The 39 other states recycle 191 containers per capita per year at 1.25 cents/unit. In other words, at an additional cost of only 1.5 cents a six-pack, bottle bill states recycle two and a half times higher than non-bottle bill states.
Myth: Bottle Bills are inconvenient. Fact: Bottle Bills enjoy overwhelming public support. In Iowa, 91% of residents surveyed support their state’s bill. No statewide bottle bill has ever been repealed.
Myth: Bottle bills are anti-business. Fact: Bottle Bills create jobs in the recycling industry. If the beverage industry has data showing they are losing sales in bottle bill states, they need to provide it.
Myth: Bottle bills increase the price of the product. Fact: In a nationwide survey, the state with the lowest price for a 12-pack of Pepsi was New York, a state that’s had its bottle bill for 25 years. The truth is prices fluctuate for a vast variety of reasons.
Myth: People will illegally redeem containers to get a free dime. Fact: Michigan, with its 10-cent deposit, reports a fraud rate of just 2.5%. Bar codes can be scanned by automated vending machines to insure cans were purchased in a bottle bill state. This state-of-the-art technology can be used in West Virginia.
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