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News Release
More Information:
For Immediate Release
Michael Garfield
Friday, February 28, 2003
734-663-2400 ext.104
David Holtz
313-965-0055
313-300-4454 (cell)
Don't Trash Michigan coalition: Industry
is 'Crying Wolf'
Only Area Public Hearing On
Bottle Bill Expansion Set For Monday
A coalition of more than two dozen groups say they will urge the Republicans’
Michigan Beverage Container and Recycling Task Force to expand the state's
successful Bottle Bill and support stronger measures to improve other recycling
programs during a public hearing Monday in Oakland County.
“Michigan is cleaner, greener and a better place because of our landmark
Bottle Bill,” said Michael Garfield of the Ecology Center and coordinator
for the Don’t Trash Michigan campaign. “Our message to the task force will
be that they should listen to the people and not the special interests--bring
the Bottle Bill into the 21st Century and expand Michigan’s other recycling
programs.”
Garfield said the coalition will also remind the task force that objections
to expanding the Bottle Bill that are now being raised by industry representatives
are the same ones Michiganders heard 27 years ago when they overwhelmingly
approved the returnable bottle proposal. None of the industry’s dire predictions
at that time have come true, he said.
“Crying wolf only works so many times,” said Garfield. “We have nearly three
decades of experience with the bottle bill and all of it has been positive.”
The 10-cent deposit on soft drink, beer, malt beverage and wine cooler containers
is credited with curtailing litter in Michigan. The task force is studying
whether to extend the deposit to bottled water, juice and other containers.
In addition to the bottle bill expansion, the Don’t Trash Michigan coalition,
representing 28 environmental, civic and community groups, will ask the task
force to recommend that the Legislature adopt a proposal to begin charging
waste haulers fees for using Michigan’s landfills. The coalition wants the
fees to go toward strengthening recycling programs. Michigan is the only
state in the region that does not charge a landfill use fee, a policy that
encourages the importation of waste from Canada and neighboring states.
The recycling task force will meet from 7-9 p.m. Monday in the Gold Room,
Oakland Center Upper Level, Oakland University in Rochester. It is the only
scheduled hearing of the task force in southeastern Michigan.
Don't Trash Michigan member organizations expected to testify at Monday's
hearing include representatives from Oakland County's East Michigan Environmental
Action Council, the Michigan Environmental Council, Clean Water Action and
the Sierra Club.
More information: www.stoptrash.org
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