Plastic bottles and nips litter Rhode Island roads and natural environments, contributing to unsightly neighborhoods and clogged waterways. Volunteer litter cleanups are not cutting it. Further, experts say, traditional curbside recycling efforts are not working as a way of stopping the proliferation of plastic in the environment.

In response, many New England states, including neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, have introduced “bottle bills” or deposit return, which offers consumers an incentive to return plastic bottles back to the companies that sell them. Bottle bills are considered to be one of the best systems for recycling our plastic, glass, and aluminum containers.

On average, states across the country without bottle bill programs only collect about 27% of their empty beverage containers for recycling. States with 10-cent deposits on beverage containers, by comparison, can collect an average of 60% of their empty beverage containers. However, efforts to pass a bottle bill in Rhode Island have been stymied by the plastics industry and beverage distributors who employ expensive and connected lobbyists.

On Thursday afternoon a coalition of conservation groups held a rally in support of “The Beverage Container Deposit Recycling Act of 2023.” H5502, Introduced by Representative Carol Hagan McEntee (Democrat, District 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett), would, “establish a system for the recycling of beverage containers working with the Department of Environmental Management. Deposits would be paid by the consumer and retailers or redemption centers would be reimbursed a handling fee. The department would allow for the establishment, operation, and licensure of redemption centers.”

“Are you sick of seeing empty bottles – litter, trash – on our beaches? In our pristine woods? In our parks and communities?” asked Representative Hagan McEntee. “I know I am… We need to get forceful with this.”

“Clearly, we need a bottle bill in Rhode Island because what we’re doing is just not working and we need to do things differently now,” said Senator Bridget Valverde (Democrat, District 35, North Kingstown, Narragansett), who is sponsoring the legislation on the Senate side.

If passed, Rhode Island would be the first state to pass a bottle bill since Hawaii passed theirs in 2005. This legislation is modeled on other New England state programs that have achieved major litter reduction by placing a deposit fee on beverage containers, including alcohol “nips” that are being littered in increasing numbers.

In his proposed FY2024 budget, Governor Daniel McKee has recommended doing away with a litter tax that businesses pay. In its place, the Governor has placed First Lady Susan McKee in charge an anti-litter campaign. The McKee campaign depends upon volunteer efforts, but as Jed Thorp, State Director of Clean Water Action pointed out, “Despite decades of anti-littering efforts and an increase in single-stream recycling, litter and plastic pollution are persistent and growing environmental problems across Rhode Island. At the same time, our recycling system is failing to capture and recycle beverage containers. A recycling refund system – as proposed in H5502 – would address both of these problems by reducing litter, and improving our recycling rate.”

The effort in Rhode Island is mirrored in state legislatures across the country. Maryland, Washington and Illinois are considering such bills.

“People in Rhode Island, Maryland, and across the United States are sick and tired of plastic pollution,” said Kevin Budris, Just Zero’s Advocacy Director. Just Zero is a national nonprofit working to implement just and equitable Zero Waste solutions across the country. “Bottle bills are one of our best options for fighting against plastic. Not only do they keep plastic containers out of the environment, but they als