Poll finds support for New York bottle bill expansion

A survey organized by a coalition of some 150 nonprofit organizations has found that about 71 percent of the New York state residents who responded support expanding the state’s container deposit-return system (DRS) to include what the groups call “all types of beverage containers.” Just 23 percent of respondents opposed the idea, according to the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).

NYPIRG and the other groups involved have called on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators to include what they call a “modernized bottle bill” in the next state budget.

The poll was conducted by Siena College Research Institute of Loudonville, New York. Results indicate that “New Yorkers feel positively about the [DRS] program as a whole,” NYPIRG says. A majority of respondents agreed the bottle bill had reduced litter in the state, according to the organization.

“Additionally, the poll found that the majority of New Yorkers support raising the bottle deposit placed on beverage containers from a nickel to a dime,” NYPIRG says, adding that the nickel deposit rate has been in place for 40 years.

The coalition of advocacy groups is urging Hochul to pass both the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill” and New York Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act in her upcoming executive budget. The two moves could increase the Empire State’s beverage container recycling rate to 90 percent, NYPIRG says.

According to NYPIRG, the Bigger Better Bottle Bill includes two key aspects: first, it expands the types and number of beverage containers covered by the Bottle Bill to include noncarbonated beverages, wine, and liquor; and, second, it increases the amount of the deposit to a 10 cents.

“States like Michigan and Oregon that have increased their deposit to a dime have seen increases in recycling and container redemption rates,” NYPIRG says, citing California and Maine as states that have increased the range of containers they collect.

Over its 40-year history, the in-place “New York State Returnable Container Act “has proven highly effective at reducing litter and increasing recycling rates,” NYPIRG says. Expanding the bottle bill would reduce or eliminate costs for municipal programs by creating a greater financial incentive (larger deposit) for consumers to return and an obligation (the law) for retailers to accept additional containers, NYPIRG adds, thus “relieving the burden on local government recycling programs.”

“Siena’s polling shows that New Yorkers are proud of the Bottle Bill,” says Ryan Thoresen Carson of NYPIRG. “After 40 years as the state’s most effective litter prevention and enhanced recycling the Bottle Bill is not over the hill, it’s over the landfill,” he adds, referring to recycling opportunities being lost because of a lack of updates to the bill.

Ryan Castalia, executive director of Brooklyn-based nonprofit bottle redemption center Sure We Can, says, “New Yorkers overwhelmingly support expanding the state’s bottle bill. It’s no surprise as it’s so effective and empowering for anyone who wants to participate, especially marginalized folks with fewer opportunities. With just a few small updates to the law, New York can become a leader in sustainability and environmental justice, and the people who keep the system going and our communities litter-free will get the support they deserve.”