Sen Maralyn Chase Introduces "Recycle the Bottle Bill"

Friday, 32nd Leg District Senator Maralyn Chase, launched the latest version of a 
"bottle bill" in Olympia.

Senator Maralyn Chase, elected last November
She previously served 4 terms in the State House

Senator Chase was inspired to get this bill going this time, when she was driving back to Olympia after a weekend and was "disgusted" by the sight of plastic trash blowing across the freeway in front of her car.
She's introduced some similar legislation in the past as State Rep. In fact she was one of the prime sponsors of the "Safe Baby Bottle Bill" which passed last session, and which will remove toxic chemicals from baby and sports bottles.

This legislation, sponsored by Chase is SB 5778, titled officially "Providing incentives for the collection and recycling of beverage bottles". But the bill will be known as the "Recycle the Bottle Bill". It would place a $.05 fee on any beverage container purchased in the state.


The bill would also address other containers such as aluminum cans and glass drink bottles.
She says that this bill would help our State and Cities cut down on greenhouse gasses that it would take to manufacture more bottles and cans and help them reduce costs now used for disposal. Chase stated that our State has had a sizable decline in recycling rates since 1992. In that year we had a 54% rate of recycling, but now we have a 44% rate. 

She also has some other bills to address the other problems of plastics and other materials that are filling up landfills and busting our State and County Budgets. Chase is sponsoring a Plastic Carryout Bag Ban Bill (SB 5780) and a Compostable Styrofoam Substitute Bill (SB 5779) this session.

Sen Chase is also inspired by the desire to pass on a better world to her grandson and for all the children of our state.

Sen Maralyn Chase and Grandson Chase Simerka

According to the Container Recycling Institute an advocacy organization for recycling:
  the states with bottle bills have a beverage container recycling rate of around 60%, while non-deposit states only reach about 24%?

From Container Recycling Institute
(click to enlarge)

Their site has a beverage bottle and can"counter" that says their have been over 15 BILLION cans and bottles, landfilled, littered or incinerated so far this year alone!

How many plastic beverage containers are there in
just this one aisle at a local store!

It is a sad commentary that in our beautiful, scenic part of the country, after all that individuals and governments have done to address the waste problems, we seem to be still losing ground.
KING 5 TV featured the Chase bill on Friday in a story.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Senator-Recycles-Bottle-Deposit-Bill-116002719.html

Senator Chase at a Hearing

But Senator Chase is stepping up to do something about it! She's determined to make progress.

She says "Eleven other states have a bottle bill and their recycling rates are MUCH greater than ours.

We need to stop fouling our nests and everyone has to pitch in. There's no reason we can't recycle much more."