This article originally provided by
WV Public Radio
August 6, 2007
Citizen group promoting 'Bottle Bill'
Harmon Marks
CHARLESTON - An issue that is not going away, according to Linda Frame, program
manager for the State Citizen Action Group, is the so-called "Bottle Bill."
Container deposit legislation are laws passed by city, state, provincial or
national governments that require that a deposit on carbonated, water or
alcoholic beverage containers be collected when the beverage is sold.
When the container is returned to an authorized redemption center, or the
original seller in some states, the deposit is partially or completely refunded
to the consumer.
Deposits that are not redeemed are often used by the governmental entity
involved to fund environmental programs; sometimes they are used to cover the
costs of processing returned containers.
Frame reported that 11 states already have container deposit laws and states
neighboring West Virginia have shown interest in enacting legislation.
Frame has been with the citizen action organization for 10 years and has devoted
five years to promoting the bill.
The Legislature lists proposals for the law as Senate Bill 370 and House Bill
2773. Numerous governmental agencies and citizens' organizations have lined up
behind the bills.
Frame plans to meet individually with legislators to assure the bill will be
reintroduced during next year's regular session. Delegate Barbara Fleischauer,
of Monongalia County, has been supporting the bill in the House Judiciary
Committee.
The West Virginia Citizens Action Group is online with a "Myth-Fact" discussion.
For example - "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 per
cent. 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."
"We actually used Michigan as our model," Frame said.
For the complete "Myth-Fact" discussion on the Internet, see
www.wvbottlebill.org.
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