Maryland Bottle Bill Initiative

TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB 232
Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Act
February 14, 2025

Hon. Marc Korman, Chair, Environment & Transportation Committee
House Office Building
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Chair Korman, Vice Chair Boyce, and Committee Members:

My name is Bente Cooney and I am the Founder of Plastic Free QAC (PFQAC), a non-profit organization concerned with single-use plastic. I would like the record to show that Plastic Free QAC strongly supports HB 232, which incentivizes bottle recycling and dramatically reduces littering.

As one of our many activities, PFQAC does monthly roadside clean-ups. Month after month we pick up trash, but it just keeps coming back. It is truly tiresome that there is no change in the amount of trash in our otherwise beautiful Eastern Shore environment. We need your help in reducing this unsightly litter.

If a 10-cent deposit was placed on every purchased beverage, the problem would be almost totally eliminated. Bottles would be collected by children or adults for the reward, most likely even before they hit the roadside. The proof is in the fact that States like Michigan and Oregon with a 10-cent bottle deposit legislation, have achieved recycling rates of 90%.

My husband and I sailed the seas for many years before we settled in Grasonville, and we always hated to see bottles floating on the surface of the ocean. The potential danger they cause to sea life is well documented. We love living by the Bay, but sadly we encounter ever more bottles as they wash in from the Chesapeake, especially during storms. (See photo below)

In addition to the litter component, the plastic from recycled plastic bottles provides cleaner material for the post-consumer recycled content requirement, currently being considered. The fact that local governments can save money and that the program is budget neutral, should also be a strong incentive to make this program a reality for Maryland. In addition, a recent survey shows that more than 90% of Maryland voters are in favor of a bottle bill program. Plastic Free QAC urge you to vote HB 232 favorably out of Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony.