Rep. Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) proposed a package of bills sponsored by him, and four other Republicans, according to Bridge Magazine, to eliminate the deposit system and make these items like any other recyclable material. House bills 6532, 6533, 6534, 6535 and 6536 were introduced in late November and were referred to the Committee on Michigan Competitiveness.
According to Bridge Magazine, Michigan was the first “big industrialized state” to require a deposit on cans and bottles, with a recycle rate of more than 90 percent. Michigan’s recycling rate on everything else is still dismal, at 15 percent. Bellino argues that if these items are recycled through the regular recycling system, it would help the recycling business to stay profitable.
Not everyone wants to see this system changed. “That would be a giant detriment for our animals at Adopt-a-Pet,” said Director Jody Maddock. Animal shelter organization Adopt-A-Pet of Fenton has a continual bottle drive, which raised $13,000 in 2017, Maddock said. She said their utility bill is $1,000 per month, and the bottle drive helps cover all their regular operating expenses. “We solely operate on the generosity of our community,” she said. They have more than 140 animals in their care.
However, this is music to Alpine Marketplace owner Marvin Yono’s ears. “That would be a big burden lifted off my shoulders,” said Yono, who added that he loses money on processing these bottles and cans. He has to worry about dirty empty bottles being brought back into a store that sells food. He spends thousands of dollars and about 1,300 hours on his returnable system every year. To him, it makes no sense to bring the bottles and cans back to a store. “I think it’s an outdated law,” he said.