[OKRA] Idea for OKRA: Oklahoma lawmaker plans bottle-deposit program

[Brian Figgins]

I received quite a few responses to my e-mail.  I wanted to address most 
of those in one reply.

It sounds like OKRA will be taking some steps to support this 
initiative.  Ilda says that the bill's sponsor has been invited to the 
Dec 8 recycling seminar in Stillwater.  Before I heard that, I was not 
sure I was going to attend.  Now I definitely will as it will give me a 
chance to learn more about the proposed bill and offer suggestions.

I spent most of last summer in California.  Their deposit law is a great 
compliment to their various recycling programs.  Plastics gathered in my 
community are not worth anything.  The City of Mustang pays to OEMA haul 
the plastics and OEMA gives them away to either Greenstar or Waste 
Management.  When the economy soured, those companies charged 
communities to accept plastics.

In California, many people do not bother to redeem their cans or 
bottles.  They will drop those items into their community recycling 
programs which in turn get to redeem them.  These deposits work as a 
price support for the recycling centers.  What is worthless for 
communities now would be worth 5 cents an item under such a bill.

For an experiment, I took a weeks worth of bottles to a grocery store to 
see how the process works.   Most grocery stores have a collection once 
a week.  There is a trailer in the parking lot where they weigh your 
bottles and cans.  The staff gives you a receipt which you take into the 
store to redeem for cash.  Residents tell me that most people just use 
it like a coupon for their next purchase.

I did hear a story on NPR while I was out their that one sign of the bad 
economy is that you saw more people going down residential streets 
picking out bottles and cans from the curbside recycling bins to redeem 
themselves.

Another possible alliance for OKRA in passing a deposit law would be 
child health advocates.  A deposit law would for many effectively be a 
tax on sugary drinks (as well as disposable water bottles)

Grocers concerns are that it would dampen sales of soft drinks and water 
bottles as well as add a requirement that they accept these products 
back.  This is way I think we should consider giving the grocers a 
portion of the unredeemed deposits as an offset.

Sophiabkv at aol.com wrote:
> /I would like to know how this affects curbside recycling programs in 
> communities?/
>  
> /Barbara VanHanken/
> /Tulsa Master Recyclers
> sophiabkv at aol.com
> 2212 E. 38th St.
> Tulsa, OK 74105
> 918 749-9093
>
> //Please consider the environment before printing this email./
> / /
> /In a message dated 9/29/2009 10:02:50 P.M. Central Daylight Time, 
> BFiggins at cox.net writes:/
>
>     /
>
>
>       Oklahoma lawmaker plans bottle-deposit program
>
>     http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmaker-plans-bottle-deposit-program/article/3403610?custom_click=headlines_widget
>
>     I think this would be a good thing for OKRA to get behind and
>     support.  I know that many in the recycling community understand
>     the value of a deposit bill.  Although the main purpose of this
>     bill is to reduce litter, it does a good job of supporting
>     recycling industries.
>
>     A deposit bill is not a tax on anyone... except perhaps a tax on
>     the lazy.  People who purchase a can or bottle pay an extra $.05
>     fee which they get back when they return the item.  Many states
>     that have a deposit law reap millions of dollars on unredeemed
>     deposit fees.
>
>     If the OKRA board believes that this is an issue they want to get
>     behind, I would be willing to work with you on trying to get this
>     through.  I would suggest we contact the following groups /
>     organizations to build a coalitions:
>
>     *Keep Oklahoma Beautiful* - This is primarily an anti-litter law
>     after all
>     *Boys Scouts / Girl Scout *- The Mustang Boy Scouts organization
>     recently asked me to speak to them about who should pay for
>     recycling.  These groups have helped pass deposit laws in other
>     states.  Collecting bottles and cans is a great fund raiser for
>     many organizations
>     *Oklahoma Grocers Association* - They are currently against this. 
>     If we could find a way to win them over, we would make a strong
>     ally out of an opponent.  One thought is to split the unredeemed
>     deposits between the state and the grocers.
>
>     Thank you,
>
>     Brian Figgins
>     Coordinator - Mustang Recycles
>
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