Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton) is pleased that her bill to add bottled water and energy drinks to the Bottle Deposit law is moving forward.  Today, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy gave S. 1480 a favorable report and sent it on to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. 

“My communities have always supported recycling and reducing trash,” said Sen. Creem.  “If we can enact my bill, we will prevent almost 80% of non-carbonated drink containers from becoming litter.”   This bill would also increase the handling fee paid to redemption centers.  Estimates of revenue to the Commonwealth from uncollected deposits for these new classes of containers range up to $16 million a year. 

The legislature has until July 31st to enact this legislation.