Lawmakers Consider Expanding Bottle Deposit Fees

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering updates to the state's bottle bill that would expand deposit fees to non-carbonated beverages, including water, iced tea, juice and sports drinks.

Lawmakers Wednesday will hear public testimony on over a dozen bills proposing expansions to the state's 30-year-old law that charges consumers 5 cents on bottles and cans of soft drinks, mineral water, beer and other malt beverages

Advocates say state's current container deposit system encourages recycling and creates a cleaner environment. Expanding it, they say, will improve those efforts.

The proposal would also establish a separate fund for unredeemed deposits that would support community recycling programs.

Critics of the proposal, including grocery retailers, say deposits are an extra tax on consumers who are too busy to save and return the bottles.