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MY WORD - 5/21/2008
(by Holly Stewart - OpEd Columnist - May 21, 2008)
Recycling one dime at a time
I am sure we will hear push-back from people who call that a tax. Actually if you do a good job of recycling, it isn’t.
—GOV. JON CORZINE
Last week, the New Jersey State Legislature presented a plan to increase both revenue and recycling efforts in one shot. Dubbed the “Smart Container Act,” this bill will impose a 10-cent deposit on every plastic, glass and aluminum beverage container sold here; the added cost will be included in the purchase price. Consumers get their deposit back when the empty container is returned to a store or collection center. Deposit monies that go unclaimed will be poured into environmental projects.
This is not the first time such legislation has been proposed. A similar bill was defeated 20 years ago after the small-business lobby successfully argued that the burden of this non-tax would rest on their shoulders because of the cost involved in setting up the necessary infrastructure for the program. Already critics are lining up to voice their concerns this time around, centering their debate on the idea that the bottle bill will undermine current recycling programs, drive businesses away and lure scammers from Pennsylvania to bring their empty containers across state lines.
New Jersey’s abysmal 33 percent recycling rate for plastic containers warrants immediate action, even though the rates for aluminum and glass are somewhat higher. As a result, there’s an awful lot of plastic ending up in our sewers, waterways and incinerators. By contrast, states with bottle bills average a recycling rate that is two to three times greater than New Jersey’s. Eleven other states already have similar laws, including New York, Michigan and Massachusetts. Michigan rates an incredible 97 percent recycling rate on its returnable containers. And here’s another benchmark for the success of these programs: No state’s bottle deposit law has ever been repealed.
I admit I was skeptical about this idea at first. I know what slobs New Jersey residents can be. In fact, I’m one of those nutjobs you see picking up trash at the side of the road every spring because I simply cannot stand to look at it every morning when I drive to work. And I’m not at all convinced that an extra dime is going to make anyone more conscientious about tossing away their trash. However, the local environmental contingent (notably the Sierra Club) thinks it’s a good idea, so I am willing to give it a chance.
It seems that I am forgetting a very important part of this equation. The difference in recycling is not going to be made by apathetic kids tossing their cans and bottles out the windows of moving cars for a cheap thrill. It won’t be made by the average consumer who will dutifully carry his empties to the store every week. It won’t be made by the litter-hater who picks up every stray can or bottle she finds while walking the dog every evening. For better or worse, these people will continue their overall patterns of behavior without much thought.
The real difference in New Jersey recycling stands to be made by people who have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose by picking up and turning in what would otherwise be garbage.
Urban litter in this state is estimated to be more than 40 percent over the national average. If only a few residents of each inner-city neighborhood take it upon them-selves to collect recyclables, they’ll not only beautify their home turf, they’ll also make some pretty easy money in the process. A mere 100 bottles will bring a $10 bounty for anyone willing to pick them up and take them in for collection. It almost makes me wish I was a kid again so I could enjoy the feeling of money “found” on the street.
Will there be problems with this program? Maybe. Are there problems with recycling in New Jersey already? Definitely! So what’s the harm in providing a little financial incentive for people to do the right thing? If this bill manages to pass the Legislature this fall, then we shall see. In the meantime, keep participating in curbside recycling and encourage others to do the same.
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