[GreenYes] NSDA's Attack on the BEAR/MSRP Report

[JenGitlitz@aol.com]

The Container Recycling Institute has issued a document responding to the 
National Soft Drink Association's (NSDA) attack on the BEAR MSRP report, 
"Understanding Beverage Container Recycling: A Value Chain Assessment 
Prepared for the Multi-Stakeholder Recovery Project (MSRP)."


On January 16th, the same day the BEAR report was released, the NSDA issued a 
press release calling the report "inaccurate," "unreliable," and "flawed," 
and claimed it was sloppily researched and "intentionally manipulated to

present the views of deposit advocates."


Despite these allegations, neither the NSDA nor Northbridge Environmental 
(the consulting firm NSDA hired to try to debunk the BEAR report) have 
effectively refuted some of the strongest conclusions of the report: namely, 
that deposit systems have achieved beverage container recovery rates 
unmatched by any other single recycling system, and that they do it at a cost 
that is competitive with curbside recycling.


It is interesting to note that NSDA did not dispute the growing beverage 
container waste problem, or the energy and environmental consequences of 
wasting more than 100 billion beverage containers a year.


Our document addresses NSDA's false claims and distortions about deposit 
systems as well as their attack on the MSRP Report.  NSDA has opposed deposit 
laws for decades.  Despite the strong numerical arguments favoring

deposit systems, NSDA continues to greatly outspend deposit advocates in 
legislative battles from New York to Hawaii.  Because the NSDA wields so much 
lobbying money and political influence, we think it is important for

deposit law advocates throughout the U.S. to counter their arguments 
substantively.  CRI hopes this document will assist you in responding to 
critics of deposit systems in your state or city.


To download a .pdf version of CRI's response (along with URLs and links to 
the BEAR report and

NSDA's press release), please visit the following URL on CRI's website:


http://www.container-recycling.org/projects/bear/CRI_NSDAResponse--022002.pdf


Jennifer Gitlitz

Senior Research Associate, Container Recycling Institute

Home office:

1010 Pleasant St.

Worcester, MA 01602

Phone: (508) 793-8516

eFax: (928) 833-0460

e-mail: jengitlitz@aol.com


Container Recycling Institute
1911 Ft Myer Drive, Suite 702
Arlington, Virginia  22209
Phone: (703) 276-9800  
Fax 703.276.9587
www.Container-Recycling.org
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