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Keep the bottle deposit law

EDITOR:

The (bottle) deposit law is working. The last time I was in Wisconsin, which I freely admit, was a while ago, the state looked like a garbage dump. Wisconsin at that time, and as far as I know still does not have a deposit law. I am really surprised that our state representative, from “God’s Country” is introducing a law to make the U.P. a garbage dump like Wisconsin.

I have to admit, that the returns, are a hassle for the grocery stores. But, they don’t have to sell those drinks that come in containers that require a deposit. If they were not making income on the selling of those drinks, they would not do it. As a former retailer, if the product did not pay for it’s shelf space, it was gone, gone, gone. Why the grocer who accepts over a million more recyclable containers then went out their front door, is easy to understand. They pay cash for returns, if requested. No requirement that it be spent in their store. Cash, cash, cash.

If our garbage dump representative, is so hot and bothered, about recycling…Does any one have a photo of him crawling out of a state highway ditch with trash? Or hustling down the county road with a full white “keeping Michigan clean “ bag? Or recycling the byproduct of his dairy…..yes cows make lots of methane. It’s recyclable. He could heat his house.

Does this law include what is necessary to support those “recycling centers” in Cooks, or Ensign, or Gladstone, or Trenary? Bet you didn’t even know one was there, now did you?

Rather then killing the law, how about raising the deposit to 15 cents, or 20 cents, or lets go for broke and make it a quarter. Lets leave some of that deposit with the people that handle the returns. Or how about requiring the wholesaler to have a 24 hour place for people to do their returns…..so they don’t have to bring their “garbage” to the grocery store. Machine issues a check, when the returning person enters his/her driver license number into the machine.

Come on, we can do better then killing a law that works. Let us think outside the box, not stomp the box into oblivion.

A. G. “Doc” Souter

Inwood Township

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