I'm totally unconvinced that the amount of metal saved from landfills by the bottle bill is worth all the trouble, money and (most importantly) untold hours spent by the public to get their nickels back. But it is nice that it lets broke folks do the public's work, with nobody's permission, while keeping roofs over their heads.
After reading this article the other day, I went to the grocery store and bought a carbonated beverage in a bottle, among other things. For this purchase I used a combination of food stamps and cash. I noticed that not only is the beverage food-stamp elligible, but WIC also pays the bottle deposit. If Oregon bottle distributors' annual income from unredeemed deposits is $20-30 million, I wonder what portion of that is meant for individuals and families in need? Maybe the distributors should step up to the plate and start making substantial donations to hunger relief programs. Or maybe the Feds should ask for a bit of that cash back?
It's not the amount of metal saved from landfills that matters, it's the amount of rubbish at the side of the road.
Litter begets litter, so we get a triple reward: Throwing away a can is throwing away money, so folk are less apt to do it, less cans on the road means less people drop their cans, and those that are dumped get picked up by folks trying to earn a little scratch.
Now if we could just put a deposit on fast food wrappers.
I'm totally unconvinced that the amount of metal saved from landfills by the bottle bill is worth all the trouble, money and (most importantly) untold hours spent by the public to get their nickels back. But it is nice that it lets broke folks do the public's work, with nobody's permission, while keeping roofs over their heads.
Litter begets litter, so we get a triple reward: Throwing away a can is throwing away money, so folk are less apt to do it, less cans on the road means less people drop their cans, and those that are dumped get picked up by folks trying to earn a little scratch.
Now if we could just put a deposit on fast food wrappers.
oh, Sarah,
never change....