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I received quite a few responses to my e-mail. I wanted to address
most of those in one reply.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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)<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Sophiabkv@aol.com">Sophiabkv@aol.com</a>
wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:d27.3d91b28b.37f4d8df@aol.com" type="cite">
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<meta name="GENERATOR" content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18813">
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<div><em><font size="4">I would like to know how this affects
curbside recycling programs in communities?</font></em></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font family="SERIF" ptsize="14" color="#008000" face="Bodoni MT"
lang="0" size="4"><i>Barbara VanHanken</i></font></div>
<div><font family="SERIF" ptsize="14" color="#008000" face="Bodoni MT"
lang="0" size="4"><i>Tulsa Master Recyclers<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sophiabkv@aol.com">sophiabkv@aol.com</a><br>
2212 E. 38th St.<br>
Tulsa, OK 74105<br>
918 749-9093<br>
<br>
</i></font><i><font style="background-color: rgb(201, 237, 216);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#c9edd8" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Please consider the environment before
printing this email.</font></i></div>
<div><i><font style="background-color: rgb(201, 237, 216);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#c9edd8" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"> </font></i></div>
<div>
<div><i><font style="background-color: rgb(201, 237, 216);"
family="SANSSERIF" ptsize="10" back="#c9edd8" color="#000000"
face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">In a message dated 9/29/2009 10:02:50
P.M. Central Daylight Time, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:BFiggins@cox.net">BFiggins@cox.net</a> writes:</font></i></div>
<blockquote
style="border-left: 2px solid blue; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px;"><i><font
style="background-color: rgb(201, 237, 216);" family="SANSSERIF"
ptsize="10" back="#c9edd8" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"><font style="background-color: transparent;" color="#000000"
face="Arial" size="2">
<h1 property="dc:title">Oklahoma lawmaker plans bottle-deposit
program </h1>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
title="http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmaker-plans-bottle-deposit-program/article/3403610?custom_click=headlines_widget"
href="http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmaker-plans-bottle-deposit-program/article/3403610?custom_click=headlines_widget">http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-lawmaker-plans-bottle-deposit-program/article/3403610?custom_click=headlines_widget</a><br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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:<br>
<br>
<b>Keep Oklahoma Beautiful</b> - This is primarily an anti-litter
law after all<br>
<b>Boys Scouts / Girl Scout </b>- 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<br>
<b>Oklahoma Grocers Association</b> - 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.<br>
<br>
Thank you,<br>
<br>
Brian Figgins<br>
Coordinator - Mustang Recycles <br>
<br>
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