To: Walmart, Safeway, other grocery store chains, President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Make Deposits on Cans and Bottles Mandatory in Every State
Studies show that in states where cans and bottles have deposits AND recycling machines are readily available, far more empties are recycled than thrown away/thrown on the side of the road. We must make deposits legally required in EVERY state and encourage grocery stores to have machines for recycling cans and bottles.
Why is this important?
I am from Oregon and grew up with cans and bottle machines at every major grocery store. You drink the contents of the can or bottle, then you set it aside with other empties, then you take it to the store to recycle it and collect your deposit money. A deposit is a HUGE incentive to recycle, and it saves SO many empties from ending up where they never should - the landfill. I was shocked when I traveled to Missouri, Arizona, and especially Oklahoma, where cans are in piles on the side of the road in rural areas (and everywhere.) This is unacceptable. Deposits must be law-mandated across the country. There's no excuse.
Although stores tend to charge extra on deposit items, making the point of collecting your deposit money seemingly pointless, having a deposit STILL shows an increase in recycling for states that have deposits. And getting those empties recycled is the whole point. Plus, it's common for people to collect others' cans that have been tossed aside, meaning they earn deposit money when they have not bought the original product. THAT is an incentive. THAT makes an enormous difference.
Although stores tend to charge extra on deposit items, making the point of collecting your deposit money seemingly pointless, having a deposit STILL shows an increase in recycling for states that have deposits. And getting those empties recycled is the whole point. Plus, it's common for people to collect others' cans that have been tossed aside, meaning they earn deposit money when they have not bought the original product. THAT is an incentive. THAT makes an enormous difference.