Cleaning Up Carolina: How a Bottle Deposit Bill Can Reduce Our Litter Problem by Madison Haley (Plastics Program Assistant), 5/17/24
On May 2nd, legislators in the North Carolina General Assembly proposed a new bill titled the “Litter Reduction Act of 2024.” It’s what’s known as a “bottle deposit bill” – a kind of policy that has seen success in some states and skepticism in others, so let’s explore what this could look like in North Carolina.
What is a Bottle Deposit Bill?
A Bottle Deposit Bill is a state-wide policy that requires you to pay a “deposit” of 5 or 10 cents when you buy a beverage in a plastic, glass, or aluminum container. Once you finish using the container, you bring it back to a grocery store or recycling center and they’ll give you back your deposit.
It might sound revolutionary to some, but it’s currently the law in 10 states and nearly 40 counties across the world. Since 1971, states like Oregon, Iowa, Michigan, New York, and Maine have passed bottle deposit laws – and folks love them! Public polling in 2022 found that over 80% of people in America support these kinds of programs. Bottle bills teach us a basic lesson about the value of material, dramatically increase recycling, and (drum roll please) they are shown to have an enormous effect on reducing environmental litter.
Litter-al and Direct Environmental Impacts
Across the country, Bottle Deposit Laws have been shown to reduce beverage container litter by over 70% and reduce total litter by 30-40%. A recent national study by Keep America Beautiful found less than half as many bottles and cans per capita littered along roadsides in bottle deposit law states compared to non-bottle deposit law states.
What could this mean for North Carolina and the Haw River watershed?
By passing a bottle bill, North Carolina could see dramatic improvements in litter and plastic pollution across the state and our waterways. As part of our Trash Trap program we’ve counted and categorized over 55,000 pieces of litter, and while the vast majority of the litter is styrofoam (81%), the majority of non-styrofoam litter has been bottles and cans. Under current policies, our streams look like the picture below. Preventing litter at its source is no small challenge, but bottle deposit laws have been proven to have an immediate and lasting effect on cleaning up plastic from the environment.
Key Considerations for Bottle Deposit Bill in North Carolina
This isn’t the first time that lawmakers in North Carolina have proposed a bottle bill; we’ve tried before in 2007, 2009, and 2011 but they’ve all had quiet deaths. After a 13 year break from trying, the idea has been reintroduced – but because the General Assembly is currently in what’s called a ‘short session’ they won’t be able to vote on new policy proposals this year. Essentially, this means that this policy will be a longer term effort with a focus on the long session in 2025 – allowing us time to start having conversations with our legislators about what this policy could mean and make sure it’s a priority for them during election season.
We want to encourage you to start considering what a bottle deposit law could look like in your community, and to start having conversations with your neighbors and friends about how this could be something to support (or not!). As you start these conversations, here are some key things to consider:
Bottle Deposit Law Can Reduce Litter in Our Communities and Waterways
- Bottle deposit laws have been proven to reduce beverage container litter by over 70%, and total litter by 30-40%.
- Litter isn’t just an aesthetic issue – it’s costly. In 2023, the NCDOT spent over $25M removing litter from state routes. That number doesn’t include all the work of municipalities and counties, tens of millions of volunteer hours, and the dozens of nonprofits across the state dedicated to cleaning our environment (like us!).
They Improve Recycling Rates
- North Carolina landfills are filling up, and NCDEQ is warning that landfill capacity “could quickly become the Achilles heel in certain parts of the state.”
- Right now, North Carolinians only recycle 30% of PET plastic bottles – the rest of which are filling up our landfills and wasting valuable material. NCDEQ estimates that North Carolinians throw away more than $41,411,600 in plastic each year.
- Bottle Deposit Laws could be part of the solution to divert our waste from landfills – states with bottle deposit law have a beverage container recycling rate of around 60%, while non-deposit states only reach about 24%.
Its against the law in North Carolina to put a plastic bottle in a landfill
- You read that right. Since 2005, you’ve been breaking the law every time your soda bottle went into the garbage. While this rule has never really been enforced, it gives policies like a Bottle Deposit Law even more reason to become the standard in North Carolina.
The Cost of Implementing the Policies
- Cost of implementation is often the first concern with a Bottle Deposit Law, particularly the cost of establishing return centers and disruption to curbside recycling programs.
- While this is an important thing to consider, researchers have found that states with bottle deposit laws have seen dramatic financial gains from increased material recovery.
- For example, its estimated estimate that the bottle deposit law in Massachusetts contributes $85-$151 M to the economy each year, including over 2,000 jobs and $7M in tax revenue.
- In addition to material recovery, a bottle deposit law in North Carolina would free up landfill capacity, reduce litter clean up costs, and prevent litter from polluting our drinking water.
- We believe that a well implemented bottle deposit system can benefit both the economy and our environment.
The Inconvenience of Returning your Bottles and Cans
- Bottle deposit systems have been criticized as being a burden on the consumer. This policy requires active public participation and can be perceived as an inconvenience.
- While a bottle deposit law would require an extra step for the consumer, the logistics of a deposit system have been refined over the past 50 years (with lots of new technologies!) and consumers overwhelmingly support these policies in bottle deposit law states.
We already have Public Support!
- There is public, bipartisan support for policies like Bottle Bills! Public polling in 2022 found that over 80% of people in America support these kinds of programs.
- When North Carolinians were asked in April 2024 if they would support state government action to reduce single-use plastics, 91% of Democrats and 74% of Republicans said that they would support such legislation.
- In 2023, a National Bottle Bill was introduced in the United States Senate called the “Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2023.” While it didn’t pass this past year – the tide is changing, and there is clear national support for improving plastic pollution policies.
Bottle Deposit Laws in other states have been shown to be effective in cleaning up our environment, improving recycling rates, and contributing to the economy. While a bottle deposit system would require us to take extra steps to return our bottles and cans, wide public support indicates that people are more than willing to take part.
While a Bottle Deposit Bill isn’t a silver bullet for fixing our plastic pollution problem or the issues with modern recycling – we believe that it would be a step in the right direction to take better care of this beautiful state.
If this type of legislation resonates with you, we encourage you to reach out to your Representatives to express support for the Litter Reduction Act of 2024!