Rhode Island Bottle Bill
The Surfrider Foundation Rhode Island Chapter worked with our Northeast Regional Manager to try to help pass a bottle bill that would have provided a sustainable method for capturing beverage containers for recycling, thereby reducing plastic marine debris.
The Plastic Bottle and Container Labeling Act, sponsored by Representative Jean Philippe Barros of Pawtucket, would rhave equired a mandatory, minimum 5-cent fee on all beverage containers, excepting juice boxes, milk cartons and “biodegradable” containers. The bill, H7193, would also have prohibited the use of plastic six-pack rings. 
Bottle bills have many environmental benefits, including litter reduction and energy and resource conservation, waste diversion and job creation. Bottle bills also shift the costs of litter cleanup, recycling, and waste disposal from government and taxpayers to producers and consumers of beverage containers. Providing incentive for accountability and responsible stewardship of the environment is a win. Rhode Island and New Hampshire are the only New England states without a bottle-redemption program - help us change that in RI by supporting this bill!
UPDATE:
The bill was referred to the House Finance Committee in January 2016, and scheduled for public hearing on May 13, 2016. Unfortunately, the sponsor withdrew the bill from consideration on May 17.
For more information, please email: mgates@surfrider.org.
The best way to support our work is to become a member of the Surfrider Foundation. To get more directly involved in our efforts in Rhode Island, please give a shout.
We hope you will also consider testifying when this bill comes to public hearing! Stay tuned to this event for more information.
Can't attend the hearing? No sweat - you can still help by emailing your support to the Committee. We'll provide committee emails and talking points for written testimony when the bill is scheduled for public hearing.