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The Michigan United Conservation Clubs threw its considerable political weight Tuesday behind a plan to extend Michigan's first-in-the-nation bottle deposit law to containers for water, juice and tea bottles.
The containers, especially pervasive plastic water bottles, have become a national hot-button issue as people have switched from sodas and coffee to bottled water. The bottles are controversial because they often end up in roadside litter and require petroleum for their production and delivery.
Michiganders return 97% of their beer and soda cans and bottles, which are subject to a 10-cent deposit, but they throw away 80% of other beverage bottles, which have no deposit.
Now MUCC, which was the muscle behind the 1976 referendum passed by voters nearly 2-1, wants to make containers that weren't in use 32 years ago subject to the law. To change the law, a three-fourths vote of both chambers of the Legislature would be required -- in the face of opposition from grocers, other retailers and the bottled water industry.
"Bottled water and sports drinks weren't around when voters approved Michigan's deposit law in 1976," said Dennis Muchmore, executive director of MUCC. "It's time for Michigan to step back to the plate."
He urged citizens to call senators and representatives to push for passage of the measure before the legislators go home for the July 4 holiday.
Grocers say they want a penny sales tax added to all sales more than $2 that could be used for recycling programs statewide.
Adding water bottles and other beverages to the deposit law isn't right, said Ed Deeb, president of the Michigan Food and Beverage Association.
Full Story: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS05/806180317