Real Recycling for Massachusetts is a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, and community organizations actively supporting comprehensive recycling programs that will improve recycling rates across the board.
We oppose additional taxes on grocery items in the form of an expansion to the Massachusetts Bottle Bill. Forcing families to pay even more at the store with no real impact on our environment just doesn't make economic or environmental sense.
Simply put, expanding the bottle bill to include juices, teas, sports drinks, and bottled water would create a huge expense and hassle for Massachusetts businesses and consumers alike. What's worse it won't reduce litter, landfill waste, or impact the environment in any meaningful way.
With grocery prices already climbing and many Massachusetts residents struggling to get by, we can't ask consumers to shell out an additional $120 million at the cash register for this new scheme.
Consumers would face higher prices on a wide range of additional beverages, but it doesn't end there. They would also face an additional price increase to cover the high cost of handling extra bottles and cans in store.
There isn't even a good environmental case for changing the law or justifying such a large increase in grocery prices. This costly gambit would raise the Commonwealth's recycling rate by about 1/8 of 1% while threatening the jobs of 3,700 Massachusetts residents. A more limited expansion of New York's bottle bill led to plant closures and job losses in 2009.
The production, distribution, and sales of beverages in Massachusetts' grocery stores and restaurants support 45,000 jobs in the Commonwealth and nearly $4 billion in economic activity. This is no time to put these good-paying jobs at risk. There is a better alternative — expand curbside recycling programs.
Help us send a strong message that this is not the time to raise grocery prices.