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Re: [greenyes] Environmental, Recycling Leaders Support Senator Jeffords' Bil...
GreenYes Listserve,

FYI: Please not that Senator Jefford's news release below shows a total of 5 
co-sponsors. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) was added after the 
environmental groups release was finalized.

Cheers,

Lance King

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:               CONTACT:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2003            ERIK SMULSON OR DIANE DERBY
                                     202-224-5141

JEFFORDS INTRODUCES NATIONAL "BOTTLE BILL" TO 
INCREASE RECYCLING

120 BILLION BEVERAGE CONTANERS WASTED EACH YEAR

- SATURDAY IS NATIONAL RECYCLING DAY -

Washington, D.C.   -  U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., the ranking member of 
the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today introduced the 
"National Beverage Container Producer Responsibility Act of 2003", which requires 
an 80 percent recycling rate and implements a 10-cent refundable deposit for 
beverage containers .  A long-time proponent of national beverage container 
deposit legislation, Jeffords compared his commitment to the bottle bill to 
being a Red Sox fan, saying "this is our year."

"Beverage container recycling is one of the simplest ways to see a dramatic 
improvement in our environment," said Jeffords.  "My bill strikes a balance 
between the wishes of industry, the authority of individual states, and the needs 
of a healthy environment."  He stated that refundable deposit laws have 
proven dramatically more effective than voluntary efforts, noting that the ten 
states that have implemented deposit laws recycle more containers than all of the 
other 40 states combined.  

According to estimates, Americans waste about 120 billion beverage containers 
each year by not recycling them.  Jeffords' "bottle bill" would require the 
beverage industry to implement a program to meet the performance standard, and 
would exempt states from participating in the national program if their 
individual program is consistent with the legislation.  The bill would save 300 
million barrels of oil over the next decade, eliminate 4 million tons of 
greenhouse gas emissions annually and decrease road side litter by up to 84 percent.  

The introduction of the "bottle bill" coincides with America Recycles Day, 
which is Saturday, November 15, and which sponsors activities across the U.S. 
and across Vermont to raise public awareness of the benefits of increased 
recycling.  

Jeffords was joined with original cosponsors Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., John 
Kerry, D-Mass., Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, in 
introducing this legislation.

Jeffords' legislation has been endorsed by three dozen environmental groups, 
recycling organizations and businesses groups.


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