According to a 1996 government study, U.S. consumption of fruit juices and drinks topped 14 gallons per capita in the 1990s, and has attained more than 11 percent of the nonalcoholic beverage market. This statistic shows that exclusion of these beverages from the current return program has allowed a large amount of recyclable material to go to waste, contributing significantly to the 10 million tons of garbage the beverage industry generates annually.
Although curbside recycling programs are available for some of these containers not included in Michigan's bottle-deposit program, these programs are considerably less efficient than those that provide a financial incentive. In 1993, the Congressional Record reported that in their 20-year existence, deposit programs have gained between 72 and 98 percent efficiency, while "the best curbside programs capture less than 70 percent of the targeted material - in many cases, substantially less." These numbers indicate the fact that many people are apathetic toward environmental causes and would not recycle for the environmental benefit; financial reward motivates them to take action. Evidently, the inclusion of noncarbonated beverage containers in the state bottle return system would provide an efficient means of increasing recycling and, therefore, benefiting the environment.
Opponents of the idea argue that the inclusion of noncarbonated beverages in the deposit program may have a negative financial impact upon the manufacturers. They claim that the 10-cent price increase would discourage customers from purchasing these drinks. However, the modesty of the increase is not likely to discourage many from continued use of these products, especially when customers realize that they can recoup their losses easily. Even if the price boost does diminish the market of these products, the proposal's environmental benefits would far outweigh the small shrink in market share.
The inclusion of noncarbonated beverages in Michigan's bottle-deposit program would motivate residents to recycle without diminishing the popularity of these drinks. The Legislature should enact the Michigan United Conservation Clubs' proposal to enlarge the scope of the current program.