The Bottle Bill, a measure proposed to expand refundable deposits to include water, sports drinks and juice bottles, may have seen its chances of passing in the current Massachusetts House session end Thursday.
Senator Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield, a supporter of the bill and chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, says in a ten to six vote, the committee sent the bill to study, effectively killing its chances of passage in the current session. But, Downing says he thinks the bill is likely to be reintroduced next year.
“I think more people are surprised that the deposit doesn’t cover water and juice drinks at this point than people would be mad that it was extended to that. It only seems common sense that something there is so much of, and so prevalent of, and is such a part of our waste stream, ought to have the same incentives as soda and others.”
According to some Bottle Bill advocates, there was enough bipartisan support for the bill to pass both the house and senate. But Downing says the senate’s vote against the bill -as an amendment to the state budget- and the committee’s decision to send the bill to study, show support may not be as strong as advocates say. The bill will stay in study through the current legislative session which ends July 31st.