Gov. Phil Scott vetoed H.158, a bill that would overhaul the state’s recycling system for beverage containers. The expanded so-called “bottle bill” would include most beverage containers, including water bottles, which were not included in the original 40-year-old bottle deposit law. In a letter to the Legislature explaining his decision, the Republican governor described himself as “a long-time advocate of recycling.” But, he continued, “I believe expanding the labor-intensive 1970s-era bottle deposit system would move us backwards, and we should instead focus on investing in and improving zero-sort (or blue bin) recycling.”
At his weekly press conference several hours before announcing the veto, Scott said he is concerned about the costs of overhauling the so-called “bottle bill” and called single-stream recycling “highly successful.” “My feeling is we should double down on that,” Scott said. “That’s the wave of the future.”
“I’m concerned this bill will result in higher costs for Vermonters due to deposit fees added to a wide range of beverage products; increased handling fees will be passed onto consumers to fund the redemption system; and increased recycling costs for towns, businesses and residents as high-value cans and bottles are removed,” Scott said in his veto letter.