The Better Bottle Bill: Campaign Launch

In an event today hosted by state Representative Marjorie Decker and state Senator Cynthia Creem, Massachusetts elected officials and civic leaders launched a campaign to modernize the state’s container deposit law, or “Bottle Bill”. The 1982 law is one of the state’s most effective recycling measures, but after nearly 40 years it is in need of updates to more efficiently reduce waste, litter, and municipal costs for disposal and clean up in the Commonwealth. 

This Better Bottle Bill brings us back to the future, by capturing beverage containers that didn’t exist in 1982—like water bottles, juices, sports drinks, iced teas and others. “It is the right time. There is no reason not to do this,” said Sen. Cynthia Creem. “By expanding the container deposit system to include all these containers, we bring the Bottle Bill into the 21st century.” 

“These containers turn into litter and waste that pollute our air and water, but they would be recycled if they had a deposit,” added Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of MASSPIRG. “Our climate, our environment, and our public health are connected. We know the toxins from our waste are making us, our wildlife, and our nature sick,” said Rep. Marjorie Decker. “It is beyond time to act. It’s time for public health and the environment to win.”

“We expect a nearly threefold increase in the number of people worldwide with access to container deposit systems by 2030 as governments worldwide turn to these programs to lower waste and landfilling costs,” noted Susan Collins, President of the Container Recycling Institute. Other bottle bill states, including Oregon, Michigan, Connecticut, and Maine, have already successfully updated their laws to include a higher deposit and cover a wider range of beverage containers. The Decker/Creem bill would also raise the deposit in MA from 5¢ to 10¢. “We are also seeing growth and modernization nationally. When Oregon’s 10¢ deposit went into effect in 2017, the state saw their redemption rate jump from 64% to 86% over two years,” Susan Collins added. Likewise, since implementing their container deposit law, Michigan has a redemption rate of 89% and has seen their waste stream reduced by 6-8% each year. 

Major environmental and civic organizations like Environment MA, League of Women Voters/MA, Conservation Law Foundation, and Sierra Club/MA attended the event to support the campaign, which has endorsements from 55 state and local organizations. In addition, several other elected officials spoke, including Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, state Sen. Sal DiDomenico, and state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo. 

“This is an opportunity to protect human health and preserve the greenspaces that residents relied on during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are always looking for ways to enliven the spaces we gather in, and updating the Bottle Bill is one of the best ways to do that,” said Mayor Kim Driscoll of Salem, MA

“25 million miniatures are sold in Massachusetts every year, and many of them are discarded on our streets, in our parks, and, sadly, on our school grounds,” said state Sen. Sal DiDomenico. “We have the right components and team in place. It’s time for action.” 

“The Bottle Bill is one of the three priority bills in the Zero Waste Caucus that will have the greatest impact on reducing waste,” added state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo

A list of legislative co-sponsors and organization endorsements, as of September 27, 2021, is included below, after the photos of the launch envent featuring the bill sponsors, Rep. Decker and Sen. Creem.

Legislative Co-Sponsors

Rep. Ruth Balser; 12th Middlesex

Rep. Natalie Blais; 1st Franklin

Rep. Michelle Ciccolo, 15th Middlesex

Rep. Mike Connolly, 26th Middlesex

Rep. Marjorie Decker; 25th Middlesex

Rep. Marcos Devers; 16th Essex

Rep. Kip Diggs; 2nd Barnstable 

Rep. Carol Doherty; 3rd Bristol

Rep. Mindy Domb; 3rd Hampshire

Rep. Michelle DuBois; 10th Plymouth 

Rep. Lori Ehrlich; 8th Essex

Rep. Nika Elugardo; 15th Suffolk

Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier; 3rd Berkshire

Rep. Sean Garballey; 23rd Middlesex 

Rep. Carmine Gentile; 13th Middlesex

Rep. Jessica Giannino; 16th Suffolk

Rep. Tami Gouveia; 14th Middlesex

Rep. Chris Hendricks; 11th Bristol

Rep. Natalie Higgins; 4th Worcester

Rep. Patrick Kearney; 4th Plymouth

Rep. Sally Kerans; 13th Essex

Rep. Michael Kushmerek; 3rd Worcester 

Rep. Kathleen LaNatra; 12th Plymouth

Rep. David LeBoeuf; 17th Worcester

Rep. Jack Lewis; 7th Middlesex

Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian; 32nd Middlesex

Rep. Adrian Madaro; 1st Suffolk 

Rep. Mathew Muratore; 1st Plymouth 

Rep. Tram Nguyen; 18th Essex

Rep. Steven Owens; 29th Middlesex

Rep. Alice Peisch; 14th Norfolk

Rep. William Pignatelli; 4th Berkshire

Rep. David Robertson; 19th Middlesex

Rep. David Rogers; 24th Middlesex

Rep. Dan Ryan; 2nd Suffolk

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa; 1st Hampshire 

Rep. Dan Sena; 37th Middlesex

Rep. Thomas Stanley; 9th Middlesex

Rep. Paul Tucker; 7th Essex

Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven; 27th Middlesex

Rep. Andy Vargas; 3rd Essex

Rep. Tommy Vitolo; 15th Norfolk

Sen. Jo Comerford; Hampshire, Franklin & Worcester 

Sen. Cynthia Creem; 1st Middlesex and Norfolk 

Sen. Brendan Crighton; 3rd Essex and Middlesex

Sen. Sal DiDomenico; Middlesex and Suffolk 

Sen. Patricia Jehlen; 2nd Middlesex

Sen. Jason Lewis; 5th Middlesex 

Sen. Susan Moran; Plymouth and Barnstable

Sen. Rebecca Rausch; Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

 

Organization Endorsements

All Dorchester Sports and Leadership

Arborway Coalition

Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Inc. 

Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)

Berkshire Natural Resources Council

Boston Clean Energy Coalition

Charles River Watershed Association

Clean Water Action

Community Action Works Campaigns

Conservation Law Foundation

Container Recycling Institute 

Deerfield River Watershed Association

Environment Massachusetts

Environmental League of MA

Essex County Greenbelt Association

Farmington River Watershed Association

Franklin Park Coalition

Friends of the Palmer River

Girl Scout Troop 68277

Green Newton

Green North Adams Citizen’s Group

GreenRoots

Groundwork Lawrence

Hopkinton Area Land Trust

Humane Society of the United States

Keep Framingham Beautiful

Keep Massachusetts Beautiful

League of Women Voters of Massachusetts

Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust

Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

Massachusetts Sierra Club

MASSPIRG Students

Merrimack River Watershed Council

Mothers Out Front Massachusetts

Muddy Water Initiative

Mystic River Watershed Association

No Fracked Gas in Mass

OARS

Oceana

Ocean Matters

Parker River Clean Water Association

Plastic Free 413

Product Stewardship Institute

Reloop 

Save The Bay

Seaside Sustainability

Sheffield Saves

South Shore Recycling Cooperative

Surfrider MA

Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust

W2O Women Working for Oceans

Waltham Land Trust

Wareham Land Trust

Water Supply Citizens Advisory Committee

350MA Berkshire Node