Consumers would pay a 5 cent refundable deposit on cans and bottles bought in Maryland under legislation Del. Maggie McIntosh plans to introduce during the current General Assembly.
The bill, which McIntosh will roll out later this month, is expected to more than triple the percentage of cans and bottles that are recycled in Maryland to as much as 75 percent. Currently, about 22 percent of the 4 billion cans and bottles purchased in Maryland each year are recycled, said McIntosh, the chairwoman of the House Environmental Matters committee.
The low percentage means that too many beverage containers wind up in the Inner Harbor and other state waterways and along the state’s roads, McIntosh said at a news conference Monday on the Inner Harbor waterfront.
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11 comments:
Interesting that Delaware did that 40 years ago then had to abandon the idea because it was too cumbersome and costly to administer. If we're lucky MD will do both in one session - but not sure if they're that smart.
haven't we been down this road before?
Great idea, time to clean up this mess and recycle.
Soooo we can buy our containers in DE, not pay the fee, come to MD and get the refund.....
Just another disguised tax. While recycling is always a good idea, I doubt seriously if those who litter are going to magically stop and go and get their 5 cent deposit back.
I would also like to know where McIntosh got the statistic or whatever it is that this legislation would more than triple the percentage of cans and bottles that are recycled each year. She's stated this as a fact with nothing to back it up.
"...had to abandon the idea because it was too cumbersome and costly to administer."
How would you like to be the retailer who has to store the returns or will that be the responsibility of a new AFSCME manned station???
Just another ignorant woman who has no clue of business or history of refund deposits. Best thing for her to do is go home and do the laundry and some cooking.
If "retailers do not have to participate", how exactly am I getting my money back? When there is nowhere to go to get a refund, it is simply then a tax.
Arent we already paying this "fee/tax" for the weekly recycling pick up? So now we will have to pay twice? AND that means that no one will be curb side recycling because they now have to return them for money, and that will kill the recycling program already in place, and you can bet that our trash rate will not be discounted when they stop curbside collections.
Why can't we follow NY states lead and have redemption centers that pay for aluminum,glass and plastic.They have them in Wegmans (a grocery chain) and people bring in empties and get pocket change.It would keep our roadways clean because people would scavenge for them.
I live across the border in DE and this sounds like a great way for me to make some pocket change by taking my empties to MD. Of course, the alcohol tax has driven most people on the MD side to purchase in DE to avoid the 9% tax so this additional financial burden on purchasers in MD will do little than further the decline of MD alcohol sales and tax revenue. Are MD office holders required to have a minimum GED education?
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