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New York Studies Plan to Charge Deposit on Wine Bottles

New York Studies Plan to Charge Deposit on Wine Bottles

A plan to start charging a deposit for the purchase of glass wine bottles has been under renewed consideration in Albany following a study conducted by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

The study, described by the Times Union, explored the potential benefits and downsides of the plan to start charging a nickel deposit on wine and liquor bottles, much like the one applied to plastic bottles that contain carbonated beverages and other drinks.

One of the benefits of such a plan would be that it would offer a solution to the consequences of New York’s recycling policy which allows those putting out bottles for garbage collection to mix plastic and glass, which are difficult to fully separate later during processing and results in glass fragments being mixed into recycled products. Encouraging the return of glass bottles in order to reclaim the deposit could help keep them away from other recyclable items. It is also believed that implementing the new charge would increase the rates of recycling for the bottles by a significant amount.

The challenge the proposed law faces is the question of who will collect and process the bottles. Supermarkets in New York, which typically have the special machines for returning bottles to be recycled, cannot sell alcohol, which is instead typically sold by small businesses that hold a special license, and they would not be equipped to handle the recycling for the bottles. The wine and spirits industry has expressed its staunch opposition to the proposal.

Supporters of the bill are hoping it comes up for a vote in the upcoming legislative session and is passed into law. It remains to be seen whether that will be the case.


Photos: Nichem Avelim by the Dezh Rebbe
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