Bottle deposit regulations have been updated to reduce waste in Massachusetts

BOSTON (WWLP) – Each year, Massachusetts sends nearly six tons of waste to landfills and incinerators.

22News has the latest information on updated bottle deposit laws that could reduce waste production and ease the financial burden on municipalities.

The Massachusetts Senate has added a new and improved Bottle Bill amendment to its sweeping climate bill that would lead to the recycling of 3.1 billion additional containers in Massachusetts each year.

The first version of the Bottle Act, passed in 1982, established a five-cent deposit on certain beverage containers. On Wednesday, the original five-cent deposit would be worth sixteen cents. This amendment seeks to increase bottle deposits to ten cents once passed. It also aims to expand the types of containers eligible for deposits to include non-carbonated beverages such as bottled water, sports drinks and iced tea.

Nips – Small alcohol bottles that contribute significantly to trash in Western Massachusetts and across the state are also covered by the new deposit program. MassPIRG, a public interest group, has sponsored the bill since it was first introduced more than 40 years ago.

MassPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz told 22News: “We must do everything we can to reduce climate change neglect, we simply must reduce what we throw away. No way!”

Senate Majority Leader and lead sponsor of the amendment, Sen. Cynthia Creem, said in a press release that the updates “will save cities millions in garbage cleanup and generate hundreds of millions in revenue.”

The state Senate plans to vote on the climate bill and accompanying amendments on Thursday afternoon.