Since he opened Bridgewater Bottle and Can Return in 1995, McDonald’s labor costs have more than doubled, as have his rent, utilities, insurance, and fuel for his truck. He said he no longer makes a profit.
“At this point, I don’t know how much longer we can survive,’’ said McDonald, who has been holding out for the state to increase the handling fee, through revising the bottle law or administrative action. “We need something done right away.’’
The declining value of a nickel and an increase in curbside recycling have also contributed to the fall in the redemption rate, state officials said, though it is unclear how much each of the factors is to blame. Opponents of changing the bottle law say redemption sites are an expensive way to recycle. Rather than raise the handling fee, critics say, more should be done to encourage curbside pickup of bottles and cans.
State officials acknowledge the pain of redemption centers, which have not had an increase since 1990 in the 2.25-cent fee distributors must pay them for every bottle returned. They note the disparity between neighboring states with similar bottle laws, such as Maine, where distributors are required to pay at least 4 cents per bottle returned, and Vermont and New York, where the bottle companies pay at least 3.5 cents. Those states also require distributors to pick up the cans and bottles from redemption centers, reducing their fuel costs.
Ken Kimmell, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the administration is waiting for the Legislature to pass an update to Massachusetts’s 30-year-old bottle law, which would expand the nickel deposit required on sales of carbonated soda, beer, and malt beverages to include bottled water, juices, and sports drinks.
