H.996

Bill Number and Name	Bill H.996: An Act to improve plastic bottles and their recycling
Primary Sponsor	State Representative David M. Rogers
Proposed Changes/Summary	Massachusetts’ bottle deposit law came into effect in 1983, covering beer, malt, carbonated drinks, and bottled water (read more on this law here). Many plastic containers involved in this program, as well as not covered by the program, do not have minimum recycled content amounts specified. This bill would amend the general code to set incremental recycled content goals for beverage containers, with a minimum recycled content of 25% for plastic beverage containers by 1 January 2024.

Deposit Value

• 5¢ USD

Legislative Activity

6/22/2021	Hearing occurred.
3/29/2021	Senate concurred.
3/29/2021	Referred to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture

CRI Activity

On 21 June 2021, CRI submitted a testimony in support of H.996. It can be read here.

S.568

Bill Number and Name	Resolve S.568: Resolve providing for an investigation and study of enhancing statewide recycling programs
Primary Sponsor	Senator Edward J. Kennedy
Proposed Changes/Summary	This resolution would explore the feasibility of a single-stream recycling program along with other recycling and composting initiatives. It would also investigate the feasibility of amending a “sunset provision” to Massachusett’s bottle deposit law, where the program would be repealed if the recycling rates for materials covered under the law and not covered under the law are equal.

 

Legislative Activity

6/22/2021	Hearing occurred.
3/29/2021	House concurred.
3/29/2021	Referred to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture

CRI Activity

On 22 June 2021, CRI submitted a letter in opposition to S.568, instead highlighting the need to modernize Massachusetts’ bottle bill. The letter can be read here.

S.2149/H.3289

Bill Number and Name	Resolve S.2149/H.3289: An Act to expand the Bottle Bill
Primary Sponsor	Senator Cynthia Stone Creem / Representative Marjorie C. Decker.
Proposed Changes/Summary	This proposed law would expand Massachusett’s current bottle bill to include more beverage types, along with including more beverage container types to any container less than 102 ounces. The law would also increase the deposit value from 5¢ to 10¢. Handling fees within the system will be reviewed a year after the law is signed, and then every 4 years thereafter.

 

Legislative Activity

9/7/2021	Hearing scheduled.
3/29/2021	House/Senate concurred.
3/29/2021	Referred to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.