As well-funded opponents of the bottle bill expansion release their first television ad, supporters are relying on grassroots activism.
BOSTON - The bottle bill campaign is taking off. A coalition of opponents to a ballot initiative that would expand the state's bottle deposit law released their first television ad Monday, funded by a $5 million donation from the American Beverage Association. Supporters of the ballot initiative say they cannot compete financially but will be relying on grassroots organization to get their message out.
Currently, consumers pay a 5-cent fee on soda and beer, which they get back if they recycle the can or bottle. The proposed ballot question, Question 2, would expand the law to impose the 5-cent deposit on bottled water, sports drinks, iced tea and most non-alcoholic, non-carbonated drinks other than milk. The ballot question would also allow for an automatic increase to the fee every five years, indexed to inflation. If a person does not recycle the can, the money goes back to the state, which means the expansion will also be a way to generate more money for the state.
Supporters of the expansion are mostly environmental groups, which say it will increase recycling rates. They say the drinks the law would target are those that simply were not on the market when the original bottle bill was passed in 1982. Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick also supports the expansion.
Opponents say there are better, more efficient ways to increase recycling, like expanding curbside recycling pickup. They say the expansion would cost consumers $60 million and point out that it would let the state government raise fees every five years without a vote.
The opposition group, "No on Question 2: Stop Forced Deposits," is funded by the beverage and grocery industry and has far more money than the supporters of the ballot initiative. The American Beverage Association donated $5 million to the campaign. Stop and Shop gave another $300,000. The Springfield-based Big Y Foods gave $90,000.
The coalition says it has more than 500 members, and its website lists dozens of businesses and community organizations that support the group, including the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, the Berkshire Brewing Company, Kappy's Fine Wine & Spirits stores in Chicopee and Springfield, Springfield Liquor Mart and Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke.
Jeff Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, said expanding the law would place a burden on businesses, which have to give up space they would otherwise use for retail to handle bottle returns. Additionally, he said, existing recycling programs are already increasing rates of recycling. "This seems to be a government solution to a problem that really doesn't exist," Ciuffreda said. "Why are we having people pay more for their goods and inconveniencing businesses at the same time?"
The coalition released its first television ad Monday. The minute-long ad says "forced deposits" will increase grocery costs. "It means higher prices on juice, water, iced tea, soda and much more," the ad states. "And if you don't return your used containers to the store, politicians get to keep your money." The ad says most Massachusetts residents already have access to community recycling programs. It concludes, "Keep your nickels in your pocket, where they belong."
The ad will air statewide in the Boston and Springfield media markets, beginning on broadcast and moving to cable, said Nicole Giambusso, a spokeswoman for No On Question 2. Campaign finance filings show the ballot initiative group paid a media firm $4 million for ad buys.
Supporters of the bottle bill expansion have raised only $300,000, as of the end of August. The Massachusetts Sierra Club, an environmental group, is the main funder of this effort.
The group has started running volunteer trainings for grassroots organizers. Janet Domenitz, executive director of the pro-consumer group MassPIRG, said activists are setting up a grassroots campaign to organize door to door canvassing, hold informational meetings, make phone calls and attend local events like fall fairs.
Supporters of the expansion released a video on Monday, which will run as an online ad for now and will be aired on broadcast television when the election gets closer. The ad features a former Massachusetts chief park ranger talking about the damage done by litter from water and other bottles.
"The big beverage companies are spending millions telling us things are fine," says former Massachusetts Chief Park Ranger Curt Rudge. "On Election Day, let them know that we need to improve Massachusetts again and stop litter by voting yes on two."
Domenitz acknowledged that the group will be out-spent. "I can assure you we are not going to have millions and millions of dollars from big corporations," Domenitz said. "They're going to fight it through misleading paid media. We're going to be mobilizing all the grassroots support we have."
Asked about the opponents' new television ad, Domenitz said the opponents talk about forced deposits but not "forced litter." She cited research indicating that containers with a deposit are recycled 80 percent of the time; containers without a deposit are recycled 23 percent of the time.
"If you live in Massachusetts and you walk down the street or you go to a ball field or sit on a beach or hike in a park or go outside your house, you know without seeing those studies that water bottle litter is everywhere," Domenitz said.
A similar bottle bill expansion was proposed in the legislature but never passed. More than 200 cities and towns passed resolutions supporting the legislation. Supporters of the expansion say it would reduce municipalities' costs for cleaning up litter and getting rid of trash.
