Maryland 2015
House Bill 982
| Bill Number and Name | House Bill 982; Maryland Redeemable Beverage Container & Litter Reduction Program |
|---|---|
| Primary Sponsor | Delegates Frush, Lafferty, & Morhaim |
Activity
H 02/13/2015 First Reading Environment and Transportation and Economic Matters
H 03/04/2015 Hearing at 1:00 p.m. (Environment and Transportation)
Beverages Covered
Beer & other malt beverages, liquor, wine, carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, flavored and unflavored bottled water, fruit juice, sports drinks, & tea and coffee drinks regardless of dairy-derived content.
Deposits and Fees
- Deposit: $0.05 refundable deposit on container of sizes between 8 and 101 fluid ounces.
- Processing cost: Maryland Beverage Recycling Organization will pay a processing cost of $0.03 per redeemable beverage container to a distributor, bottler, private label distributor, or participating retailer.
- Unredeemed deposit: deposit of $30 million from unredeemed deposits collected from the program’s first two years of operation will go into the Reserve Recycling Fund administered by the state treasurer; deposit $2 million annually from unredeemed deposits into the Redeemable Beverage Container Environmental Grant Program
Redemption System
- Return to retail - retailers greater than 5,000 square feet in size that sell beverages must make cash refunds to consumers
Penalties
- No penalties are included in the bill.
The 2014 deposit bill
| Bill Number and Name | SB394, Statewide Container Recycling Refund Program |
|---|---|
| Primary Sponsor | Senator Frosh |
| Beverages Covered | Beer and malt, carbonated and noncarbonated soft drinks, juice, water, tea, and coffee. Excludes syrup, drugs, supplements, dairy drinks, wine, spirits. |
| Containers Covered | Sealed glass, metal, plastic cans and bottles, 6-101.5 fl. oz.. Excludes refillable containers |
| Deposits | 5¢ |
| Handling Fees | 1¢ |
| Other Fees / Taxes | None |
| Reclamation System | Redemption centers |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Property of the state (Container Recycling Refund Program Fund) |
Details
Beverage distributors are required to register with the Department of the Environment.
Redemption centers must be established based on county-set convenience zones.
Distributors initiate the deposit by paying it to the comptroller the month after the initial sale. Retailers are required to pay the deposit to the distributor upon sale to the retailer. Consumers pay the deposit to the retailer at the point of sale.
Consumers return empties to redemption centers for a refund. At least one redemption center must exist within each convenience zone. Redemption centers must ensure that containers are recycled by recycling facilities.
Establishes conditions under which redemption centers can refuse to pay the refund, maximum limits on number of containers a consumer can redeem per day.
Redemption centers are paid by the comptroller the refund value of every container they accept, plus a handling fee of 1¢, on a monthly basis.
Establishes the Container Recycling Refund Program Fund, for paying handling fees and refunds, administering the program, funding other state recycling and environmental programs.
Progress
The bill was read in the Finance and Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs committee, but was allowed to die in committee without a vote.
2013 Maryland "Recycle for Real" Campaign
Maryland is taking a new direction in 2013, with a deposit-refund campaign led not by grassroots activists, but an industry consortium. Owens-Illinois (glass) and Alcoa (aluminum) are the driving force between the 2013 refund bill, supported by a number of environmental organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Abell Foundation, Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland, National Aquarium in Baltimore, Alice Ferguson Foundation, Blue Water Baltimore and the Anacostia Watershed Society. The Recycle for Real bill is reported to be backed by
| Bill Number and Name | SB 0641 / HB 1085 |
|---|---|
| Sponsors | Senators Frosh, Ferguson, Madaleno, Manno, Montgomery, Pinsky, and Raskin Delegates McIntosh, Olszewski, Bobo, Carr, Cullison, Frush, Hammen, Hucker, Kaiser, A. Kelly, Love, A. Miller, Morhaim, Reznik, S. Robinson, M. Washington, and Zucker |
| Beverages Covered | Beer, malt, most nonalcoholic beverages. Excludes milk, syrups, supplements, frozen drinks |
| Containers Covered | All sealed metal, glass, or plastic containers 6-33.8 oz. in volume. Excludes refillables. |
| Deposits | 5¢ |
| Handling Fees | .025¢–3¢, paid by state to redemption centers |
| Other Fees / Taxes | |
| Reclamation System | Redemption centers |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Remain property of the state |
Details
This bill establishes the Statewide Container Recycling Incentive Program.
Under the program, beverage distributors must register with the state.
Distributors pay deposit to the state when they sell a container, and these deposits are placed in a Container Recycling Incentive Fund. In turn, the distributors collect deposits from retailers, and retailers collect them from consumers. Refillable beverage containers with a refund value of more than 5¢ are excluded.
Refunds are paid back at redemption centers, which are obligated to recycle or send for recycling all the containers collected. Redemption centers are paid the refund value from the state fund, as well as a per-container handling fee.
The handling fee varies depending on who operates the redemption center. If it is a private entity, the fee is .025¢. If it is a county or municipality, it starts at 3¢ and is reduced to 2.5¢ after the center has been in operation 3 years.
Other uses of the fund include financing recycling and environmental programs.
Sets a goal of 75% recycling rate for redeemable beverage containers by 2019.
Progress
February 1, 2013 Senate Bill: First Reading Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs and Finance
February 8, 2013 House Bill First Reading Environmental Matters and Economic Matters
February 12, 2013 House Bill: Public hearing announced for March 8.
The 2011 Maryland Campaign
For the past several years, Maryland has introduced, not a bill for deposit legislation, but a bill establishing a task force to study the feasibility and impacts of a deposit law in the state.| Bill Number and Name | House Bill 640, Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers |
|---|---|
| Sponsors | Delegates Olszewski, Arora, Frick, Hammen, Kaiser, Luedtke, and Reznik |
Details
This bill establishes the Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers in the State; providing for the membership of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to study specified issues relevant to requiring deposits on returnable beverage containers in the State; requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2011; providing for the staff of the Task Force; providing for the termination of the Act; etc.
Progress
February 9, 2011: First Reading Environmental Matters
The 2010 Campaign
As in 2008 and 2009, there were plans to introduce a bill that would create a task force to study container deposits in Maryland. Although at present we have not compiled information on this bill, it was identical to the 2011 bill and introduced as HB 509/08 and can be viewed on the Maryland legislature website.
The following presentation, which was given to the 7th grade class at Glenwood Middle School, provides an excellent summary of the case for a bottle bill in Maryland:
Glenwood Middle School Bottle Bill Presentation [PDF, 2.55MB]
Progress
Contacts
Phil Lee
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(410) 563-7300
The 2009 Campaign
As in 2008, Maryland bottle bill advocates are attempting to get their cause heard by enacting legislation to create a task force to study beverage container deposits.
| Bill Number and Name | HB248 and SB530, Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers |
|---|---|
| Primary Sponsor | Doyle L. Niemann, District 47 |
| Provisions of Bill | This bill sets up a task force consisting of delegates, senators, and county recycling officials. The task force will study bottle bills in other states to form conclusions about the feasibility and best design of a container deposit law in Maryland. The task force is set to conduct its work from June 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009. |
Progress
January 29, 2009: First reading in Environmental Matters Committee
February 11, 2009: Scheduled for second committee hearing
March 28, 2009: Passed third reading, referred to Senate
March 30, 2009: First reading in Senate Rules Committee
April 8, 2009: Referred to Education Health and Environmental Affairs
April 11, 2009: Reported unfavorable by committee.
Contacts
Phil Lee
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(410) 563-7300
The 2008 Maryland Campaign
After 2007's push for a bottle bill, Maryland is proposing a feasibility study for future deposit legislation. The bills containing the proposal are HB 509 and SB 336.
| Bill Number and Name | HB509 and SB336, Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers |
|---|---|
| Primary Sponsor | Delegate Peter Hammen, Dist. 46 Senator Jamie Raskin, Dist 20 |
| Provisions of Bill | This bill sets up a task force consisting of delegates, senators, and county recycling officials. The task force will study bottle bills in other states to form conclusions about the feasibility and best design of a container deposit law in Maryland. The task force is set to conduct its work from June 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. |
Progress
Feb. 29, 2008: HB 509 had a hearing, and according to Phil Lee, it went well. It had gained the support of Baltimore City and Maryland Association
of Counties (MACo), which had opposed the bottle bill in 2007. It seems likely that the committee will vote to convene the task force.
March 12, 2008: SB336 was reported unfavorable by Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
March 20, 2008: HB509 was reported unfavorable by the Environmental Matters Committee
Contacts
Phil Lee
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(410) 563-7300
Maryland CURB (Citizens Using Resources Better)
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The 2007 Maryland Campaign
After some initial confusion with multiple bottle bills introduced in legislature, Maryland settled down with HB 839, sponsored by Peter Hammen and 17 other delegates. While the bill died on March 20, it got the attention of many legislators and organizations, which may boost its success in future sessions.
Bill #: HB 839
Primary Sponsors: Delegate Peter Hammen
Amount of Deposit: 5¢
Containers Covered: All airtight, nonbiodegradable ready-to-drink beverage containers of glass, aluminum, or plastic, under 1 gallon (excluding supplements, dairy products, and other food items)
Unclaimed Deposits: Go to a state-run Recycling Trust Fund
Handling Fee: 2¢, paid by state to redemption center
Summary of Activity:
First hearing: Wednesday, March 7. Many opponents spoke out against the bill.
Bill was referred to the Environmental Matters committee.
March 20: HB 839 died in an Environmental Matters sub-committee last week.