Les Knapp, MACo Legal and Policy Counsel, testified to the House Environment and Transportation Committee, to oppose HB 982, Maryland Redeemable Beverage Container and Litter Reduction Program on March 4, 2015. This bill would create a 5 cent statewide container deposit to be redeemed at retail redemption centers (unlike previous versions of this proposal, which had county governments managing or licensing the redemption centers).

MACo’s major concerns are:

• Diversion of material from county recycling programs
• Impact on consumer behavior
• Litter reduction

The written testimony states:

The complex fiscal and operational underpinnings of the bill leave counties absorbing the long-term loss of key recycling revenue and the new redemption infrastructure could upend Maryland’s already very successful efforts to promote citizen acceptance of and participation in recycling efforts.

For more on MACo’s 2015 legislation, visit the Legislative Database.