By Paul Burns, executive director VPIRG
posted
Apr 25, 2012
Just as people around Vermont and across the country are marking
the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, Vermont state senators have
voted to kill a proposal to expand Vermont's most successful
recycling law - the Bottle Bill.
As a result of the Senate's 22-7 vote, April 20, nearly one hundred
million cans and bottles will end up in landfills or as roadside
litter over the course of the next year when they could otherwise
have been recycled under an expanded Bottle Bill recycling
program.
The Bigger Better Bottle Bill is supported by more than four out of
five Vermonters according to scientific polling conducted by VPIRG
last year. Indeed, this year's "Doyle Poll" confirms that finding
of tremendous public support.
VPIRG applauds the efforts of those senators who stood by the
Natural Resources and Energy Committee's original decision to
endorse the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. These environmental
champions include Sen. Joe Benning, Sen. Anthony Pollina, Sen. Mark
MacDonald and Sen. Peter Galbraith.
This vote marks a sad and hopefully temporary departure from the
strong environmental ethic typically demonstrated by the Senate. It
will result in more recyclable materials being wasted in landfills,
more litter on roadsides and more greenhouse gas
emissions. All of this could have been avoided by supporting
the Bigger Better Bottle Bill while expanding other state recycling
programs.
On this Earth Day 2012, the Senate struck out on a soft ball.
Tagged:
op ed, paul burns
