Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York is contemplating the expansion of its bottle bill to include liquor, wine, and fruit juices, among others. While one state senator acknowledges the environmental impact, other concerns are causing him to vote against it.
State Senator Patrick Gallivan says he acknowledges there are a number of people that are pushing the bill of the environmental advocates, but he is hearing more opposition.
"I think if legislators across the state are listening to their constituents, they would raise those concerns, and that's something that would jeopardize the bill," said Gallivan in an interview with WBEN.
Gallivan says the impacts would be significant, and also negative.
"Surely people care about the environment, rightfully so. We care about recycling, and you see many people practice that. You see the good things that the bottle bill has done, up to this point in time, but I don't know that they're significant enough problems to warrant the problems with a new bill," Gallivan explained.
Gallivan says a big reason for his objection is the cost.
"Doubling the cost would be an increased cost to consumers, of course, but it would be increased cost to businesses," he said.
Gallivan adds the combination of the two would be quite problematic.
"Not only would it cost people more money out of their pocket, it would cost businesses in labor, it would cost them in space," Gallivan said. "There already are problems with space considerations, sanitary issues and things of that nature. So I think this creates a tremendous hardship and many people between the consumers and businesses."
The expanded bill would include wine, liquor, distilled spirit coolers, cider, wine products, noncarbonated soft drinks, noncarbonated fruit and vegetable juices containing less than 100% fruit or vegetable juice, coffee and tea beverages, carbonated and non-carbonated water, and carbonated fruit beverages to the list of items subject to deposit.
The deposit would go up from 5 to 10 cents.