[GreenYes] Mainland bottlers linked to lobbying

["Pat Franklin" <pfranklin@container-recycling.org>]

NEWS FROM HAWAII:  Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano will sign the
Hawai'i Bottle Bill into law on Tuesday, June, 25th.  Also, an
article below tells the story of who funded Hawaii Citizens for 
Comprehensive Recycling.  


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Thursday, June 20, 2002

The Honolulu Advertiser

Mainland bottlers linked to lobbying
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau 

The Sierra Club yesterday criticized an anti-bottle bill group 
named Hawaii Citizens for Comprehensive Recycling, saying it is 
deceptive because the group was backed by a Mainland-based soft 
drink organization.

Hawaii Citizens for Comprehensive Recycling spent nearly $36,000 
during March and April to fight the so-called bottle bill, which 
passed the Legislature and is awaiting the governor's signature.

According to a lobbyist report filed with the state Ethics 
Commission, Hawaii Citizens for Comprehensive Recycling received 
all of its money from the Washington, D.C.-based National Soft 
Drink Association. All but $1,080 of its $35,971 budget was 
spent on media advertising.

It was among the second-highest amount spent on lobbying during 
the last two months of the legislative session. The AARP spent 
the most at $40,219 and the Hawai'i State Teachers Association 
spent $33,873.

"It turns out there were no citizens in the Hawaii Citizens for 
Comprehensive Recycling, only Mainland beverage industries," said 
Jeff Mikulina, director of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter. "Why 
does the beverage industry hide behind a deceptive name to push 
their anti-recycling agenda?"

David Thorp, named in the Ethics Commission filing as the group's 
state and local affairs manager, could not be reached at his office 
in Washington, D.C. Pepsi general manager of the Pepsi Bottling 
Group-Hawai'i Gary Yoshioka, who represented the group at 
legislative hearings, was also unavailable for comment.

The bottle bill would impose a nickel deposit on most bottles, cans 
and plastic beverage containers beginning in 2005. Those deposits 
would be refunded to consumers when the beverage containers are 
returned for recycling. The bill also phases in an additional charge 
of up to 1 1/2 cents per beverage container that the state Health 
Department would use to subsidize the recycling industry.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.

Article url:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jun/20/ln/ln17a.html


------------------Copyright 2002 The Honolulu Advertiser-----------------

****************************************
Patricia Franklin
Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, Ste. 702
Arlington, VA 22209

TEL:   703.276.9800
FAX:   703.276.9587
EMAIL: pfranklin@container-recycling.org

http://www.container-recycling.org
http://www.bottlebill.info 
**************************************** 

****************************************
Patricia Franklin
Executive Director
Container Recycling Institute
1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, Ste. 702
Arlington, VA 22209

TEL:   703.276.9800
FAX:   703.276.9587
EMAIL: pfranklin@container-recycling.org

http://www.container-recycling.org
http://www.bottlebill.info 
**************************************** 
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