----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 5:09
PM
Subject: Response to Grocery
Association
Posted by Jane Clark
Contact: Dewayne Johnson (515)
265-1596 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Recycling Association
Opposes Proposed Change to Bottle Bill
DES MOINES - November 30, 2001 -
Today's proposal by the Iowa Grocery
Industry Association to replace Iowa's
Bottle & Can Deposit Law (the Bottle
Bill) with curbside-only
collection would be a step backwards for recycling
and for litter control
in Iowa.
"The grocers appear to have forgotten that the current law
already allows
grocery and convenience stores to designate redemption
centers to handle
bottles and cans for them," said Dewayne Johnson,
Executive Director of the
Iowa Recycling Association. "They are
claming that the bottle bill causes
food safety problems. People are
already skittish about anthrax, now is not
the time to add to this
country's problems. It looks like a smokescreen to
try to remove them
from their environmental responsibility. There has never
been a
health violation in an Iowa grocery store due to the bottle
bill."
Redemption centers have a similar opinion: "My employees handle
bottles and
cans all day, every day and have never been infected with
e-coli or
listeria." Troy Willard, The Can Shed in Cedar
Rapids. "It they were
right, we would be at far greater risk than a
clerk who only handles bottles
occasionally. It's simply not a
problem."
The Bottle Bill works to keep Iowa recycling and keep Iowa
clean. Iowa
recovers approximately 93% of the containers covered by
the Bottle Bill.
Comparatively, Nebraska (a non-bottle bill state) recycles
only 26% of their
bottles and cans through their curbside-only
programs.
Additionally, the bottle bill means economic development and
better markets
for recycled materials in Iowa. Iowa recycling
industries receive twice as
much in payment for plastic bottles collected
through the bottle bill as
compared to Nebraska's curbside collection
program because their bottles are
contaminated with other plastics and then
need to be separated.
"The grocers said they plan to petition Iowans
about their feelings on the
issue, but I think we can save them the
trouble. I've got 56,000 names and
three governor's endorsements from last
year's drive to expand the bottle
bill and University of Northern Iowa
conducted a poll that showed 86%
support the bottle bill in it's current
form. I think we know how Iowans
feel," said Johnson
The Iowa
Recycling Association is a non-profit organization with more than
450
members statewide. It provides a forum to learn about recycling
and
waste reduction issues. Members include recycling
organizations,
businesses, government officials, non-profit organizations,
and individual
citizens.
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