That would increase recycling rates for wine and liquor bottles by 65%. But it also would cost 4,500 New York State liquor stores more than $36 million a year in additional costs, according to a new stody from the New York State Recource Recycling Institute..
Just three states — Iowa, Maine and Vermont — include wine and liquor bottles in deposit programs, according to the Associated Press.
COMMENT: AP has got that wrong. A number of states – including Montgomery County, Md. — permit wine and spirits bottles to be included in curbside recycling containers. New York State has stick with the non-efficient and non-effective 5 cent deposit on bottles because, when the customer doesn’t return the bottle and reclaim the “deposit” the state can then attempt to seize the deposit.