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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A bottle bill deserves to pass the R.I. General Assembly. Here's why beverage brands think so.
Bottles and cans to be redeemed at a recycling center in New York City are shown. (Photo by) Rhode Island has a major opportunity to modernize and reform its recycling system with two common-sense bills currently before the legislature. H6207 sponsored by Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, a South Kingstown Democrat, and S 996, sponsored by Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, would establish a modern Deposit Return System – a.k.a. 'A bottle bill' – and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. EPR essentially requires producers of packaging to fund a program for collecting and recycling discarded packaging to help minimize their environmental impact. Together, these proven policies would reduce litter, cut costs for the consumer, and build a cleaner environment. As the legislative debate continues, it's clear that momentum is growing for recycling reform — not just among environmental advocates and local leaders, but within the private sector as well. Environmental champions like Save the Bay and Clean Water Action strongly support these initiatives. And you might be surprised to learn that the beverage industry does too. Many beverage companies see a combined bottle bill and EPR system as a smart, forward-looking solution to address flaws with the way we handle recycling. Rhode Island's recycling rate is stuck at just 26%. In Providence, it's worse — recycling rates hover in the single digits, and nearly 650 pounds of recyclables per household are rejected each year due to contamination. That adds up to over 121,000 tons of collected recyclable material per year that the city pays $1.14 million to dispose of in the Central Landfill in Johnston, which is projected to run out of room in about 20 years. This represents both wasted resources and missed economic opportunity. We can — and must — do better. Leading beverage companies who are part of the Coalition for High Performance Recycling (CHPR) agree. A growing number of beverage companies are publicly endorsing recycling reform in Rhode Island. These companies understand there's a clear business case for the industry to support and fund improved recycling systems. A reliable, domestic supply of recycled materials is essential for both short- and long-term success. Brands can no longer rely on volatile global markets, unstable geopolitics, or imported raw materials to meet their production needs. Companies need a steady, local stream of recycled material — so that each can and bottle can be recycled into new cans and bottles. Who belongs to CHPR ? Primo Brands — whose trusted brands include Poland Spring and Saratoga. Other participating beverage and bottling companies are Diageo North America,whose brands include Guinness and Johnnie Walker New Belgium Brewing Company; Niagara Bottling; and Red Bull. As Primo Brands recently testified at the Rhode Island State House in support of a modern bottle bill and EPR, 'we need a greater supply of recycled materials, and we need it to be domestic.' A growing number of beverage companies are publicly endorsing recycling reform in Rhode Island. These companies understand there's a clear business case for the industry to support and fund improved recycling systems. The current domestic recycling system doesn't get the job done. One reason is that curbside recyclables are lumped into one single, albeit convenient, system. That inevitably leads to contamination, which reduces the value of the recycled products and the ability to turn them into food grade material. Another problem is that people are not sufficiently educated and incentivized to recycle. A modern bottle bill with an extended producer responsibility policy together provides an environmental improvement strategy and improves consumer education and recycling. Plus, they're smart, complementary business strategies that support stable, domestic supply chains that produce higher-quality recycled materials and help keep costs down for the consumer. Rhode Island can become a national model for high-performance recycling. By passing H6207 and S996 — a modern bottle bill plus EPR — the state can significantly reduce litter, pollution, and waste, protect its natural beauty and resources, and create a more circular, resilient, and sustainable economy and environment. We need to tune out the scare tactics and outdated talking points of industry opponents and support recycling reform for Rhode Island. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to protect RI libraries from book bans moves forward
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Legislation aimed at protecting libraries from book bans and affirming free speech in Rhode Island is now headed to the House. The Senate advanced the Freedom to Read Act on Tuesday. If passed, the bill would promote access to information and freedom of expression by prohibiting censorship of library materials. BACKGROUND: RI leaders, advocates push for 'Freedom to Read' bill at State House State Sen. Mark McKenney introduced the legislation, which seeks to safeguard the rights to free speech, free inquiry, and opinion—protections outlined in both the U.S. and Rhode Island constitutions. In recent months, state leaders, residents, and advocates have weighed in on the issue. Some agree with McKenney, who believes materials should not be banned, removed or censored, emphasizing that 'reading is a gift.' Meanwhile, others have expressed strong opposition to the measure, arguing that children should be shielded from 'offensive material' and libraries should be stocked with 'age-appropriate' rather than 'age-relevant' items. MORE: RI lawmakers consider 'Freedom to Read Act' According to the Rhode Island Library Association, every New England state except Rhode Island currently has legal protections in place for librarians, teachers, and museum employees against civil or criminal charges related to their collections. If enacted, the bill would direct the commissioner of elementary and secondary education to create policies for library collection development, including criteria for selecting and maintaining materials and protections against censorship efforts. 'Public libraries are the repositories of free thought, and librarians are the guardians of those principles,' McKenney said. 'It should be the policy of every state to guarantee that libraries remain a place of free and open exchange of ideas without any partisan or doctrinal pressure.' The proposal also asserts that, 'Authors, creators, and publishers have a right to communicate their ideas to anyone who is interested in receiving them. Students and library patrons of all ages have a corresponding right to encounter them without government interference.' The Rhode Island Freedom to Read Act Coalition applauded the Senate's decision to pass the legislation. 'Rhode Islanders care deeply about the freedom to choose the books they and their familiesread,' said Cheryl Space, co-chair of the Rhode Island Library Association Legislative ActionCommittee. This is the third year the Freedom to Read Act has passed in the Senate, according to the coalition. 'There is broad support for this bipartisan bill both within the House of Representatives andaround the state,' said Padma Venkatraman, co-chair of Rhode Island Authors Against BookBans. 'We are eager to see it voted into law.' Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
R.I.'s bottle bill faces fierce industry opposition despite commission's two-year effort
Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, testifies on behalf on his bottle bill before the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) It was supposed to be a compromise between environmental and business interests. Rhode Island's beverage sale industry representatives agreed to help work on a solution two years ago when a legislative study commission formed to study the best way to craft a deposit-refund program for recyclable bottles and cans. But at least two of the commission's 20 members, both of whom work in the industry, remained firmly opposed to two of the 'three bottle bills' receiving an initial vetting before the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture Wednesday. Their displeasure was targeted toward a bill sponsored by Sen. Bridget Valverde, a North Kingstown Democrat, and another bill by Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, calling for a 10-cent fee on individual beverage containers. Consumers could get their money back upon returning the containers to designated redemption sites run by a nonprofit contractor hired by beverage producers. The point of a redemption program is twofold: to discourage littering and to reduce the waste accumulating in the state's Central Landfill in Johnston. A report published last month by the commission notes roughly 1,000 tons of microplastic was detected by University of Rhode Island researchers within the sediment of Narragansett Bay — which ultimately end up being consumed by marine species that humans then eat. Of the six New England states, only Rhode Island and New Hampshire do not have a bottle refund program. But reaching a compromise with industry leaders was always going to be an uphill battle. Even before the final report was issued in April, five beverage industry members who sat on the commission issued a letter stating they supported none of the recommendations for a proposed bottle deposit program, citing concerns over cost, implementation, and balance issues in the region. 'The intention of this bill is definitely honorable,' Rhode Island Food Dealers Executive Director Scott Bromberg, who served on the commission, told lawmakers Wednesday. 'But we beg the question: Is this the right time to propose additional fees to everyday, regular Rhode Islanders?' He added that businesses would ultimately pass on the 10-cent fee to consumers — at a time when tariffs threaten to drive prices even higher. 'While 10 cents may not seem like a lot on one bottle, $2.40 for a case of $5 bottles of water is significant,' Bromberg said. 'This can be recouped, but return is often unpredictable.' Nicholas Fede Jr., executive director for the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative, also served on the commission, said the state should instead focus on updating existing curbside infrastructure to better sort out recyclable materials that may end up crushed in the landfill. 'People want to do the easiest thing possible, and that is curbside,' Fede told the committee. 'The fact that we're going to make people take their recyclables to a redemption center is a massive inconvenience.' McKenney, commission co-chair, sees a bottle bill as an obligation to a cleaner future. 'We can kick the can down the road — it can be our children's problem, it could be our grandchildren's problem,' said McKenney, a Warwick Democrat. 'But we do have to ask what kind of state we are leaving for them.' Bottle bill supporters and opponents have tried to show the public is on their side. But the results of surveys on the subject favor whoever commissioned the poll. A survey released Tuesday by a group calling itself Stop the Rhode Island Bottle Tax found that 60% of 600 respondents were opposed to the legislation. The group is backed by the American Beverage Association. 'Raising prices at a time when Rhode Island families are already struggling with inflation is not the way to improve recycling, especially when there are other models available,' Busra Toprak, owner of Baba's Original New York System Wieners in Providence, in a statement released with the poll. But 55% of respondents in a poll released March 7 by Save the Bay expressed support for a 10-cent deposit on all beverages in recyclable containers. The poll of 400 registered Rhode Island voters found that environmental concerns were a major driver in their push for a bottle bill. Peter Trafton, co-vice president for policy at the Environment Council of Rhode Island, told the committee Wednesday he was particularly concerned about microplastics in Narragansett Bay. 'Over the next few years we will learn how much damage it is going to cause to our kids, our grandchildren, and everyone who eats the wonderful tasty foods we get from the sea,' Trafton said. Trafton highlighted passage of the bottle bills as one of the council's top priorities for the 2025 legislative session. The commission's report also cited a 2023 coastal cleanup conducted by Save the Bay where volunteers picked up 114,914 pieces of trash, of which 25,276 pieces were disposable drink containers. 'What we are doing is not working,' Jed Thorp, Save the Bay's director of advocacy, told the committee Wednesday. 'We have to do better.' The root of the waste problem, lawmakers and advocates say, is beverage retailers. Which is why McKenney and Valverde's proposals call for the creation of an entity known as a producer responsibility organization, overseen by a state advisory panel, that would work with manufacturers to meet state recycling requirements. Industry leaders rejected the notion that they should bear responsibility for litter in Rhode Island. 'The accusation that we are the problem and not part of the solution is disingenuous and insulting,' John Holahan, general manager of Coca Cola Beverages Northeast, told lawmakers. Holahan called the state's litter issues a 'behavioral problem,' which he said should be addressed through recycling education programs. Such an idea is outlined in a third bill by Sen. Jake Bissaillon, a Providence Democrat. The committee held an initial hearing on Bissaillon's bill on April 30. The recycling education component is also included in McKenney's bill. But McKenney said education only goes so far. The commission had asked industry leaders for information on how effective education and anti-litter campaigns have been in upping a state's recycling rates. But McKenney said the commission has yet to receive an answer. 'When you're talking about programs that only nibble at the problem, they're not solutions,' McKenney told lawmakers. 'They're not effective in terms of making a strong, actual impact.' Supporters of the bottle bill, including McKenney, argue that adding a monetary incentive will encourage consumers to return containers for a refund. Scott Breen, vice president of sustainability for the Can Manufacturers Institute in Washington, D.C., pointed to Maine and Oregon, where consumers often receive store credit in exchange for recycling. 'People can actually get more than they pay in the deposit,' Breen said in an interview. If a bottle deposit fee is considered a tax, a majority of Rhode Islanders would be opposed, Breen said. Not every industry representative who testified Wednesday was opposed. Liz Donohue, vice president of government affairs for Primo Brands, told lawmakers that incentivizing better recycling habits would help her clients meet its goal of making 50% of all of its bottles produced recyclable. Her company represents Poland Springs, PureLife, and Saratoga Water. 'We need a greater supply, and we need it to be domestic,' Donohue said. Kurt Wells, director of regulatory affairs at the Aluminum Association in Washington D.C., said bottle bills across the country have been effective at collecting recyclables of consumers who don't have access to curbside pickup. 'This is a particular advantage in terms of litter prevention and marine debris avoidance — obvious clear benefits here in the Ocean State,' Wells said. Both McKenney's and Valverde's bills were held for further study by the committee, as is standard procedure for a bill's introductory hearing. The companion trio of proposals introduced in the House in April have not yet been scheduled for a hearing across the rotunda. Rep. Tina Spears, a Charlestown Democrat, introduced the House's version of the bottle bill. Rep. David Bennet, a Warwick Democrat, is behind the legislation establishing a recycling education and enforcement program. Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee, a South Kingstown Democrat who co-chaired the commission, sponsored the chamber's combination bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
R.I. Senate approves rule change to post written testimony online
Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat, introduced proposed rules for the Rhode Island Senate on Thursday, March 13, 2025. The rule changes, which were unanimously approved, include requiring the chamber to post written testimony online. (Screenshot) By the time state senators return to the Rhode Island State House on March 18, written testimony on the proposals they are vetting will be available on the Rhode Island General Assembly website. The online postings were incorporated into procedural rules the upper chamber approved in an unanimous vote Thursday. The 31-page list, adopted biannually at the start of each legislative session after an election year, covers everything from responsibilities of Senate staff and legislative committees, to where senators sit in the chamber (determined by the Senate president) and how many bills each senator can introduce (25 bills maximum per session). Among the paragraphs of procedural minutiae, a new, one sentence addition requires the Senate to publish online any written testimony related to bills. The move mirrors a similar practice adopted by the House four years earlier, in the wake of the pandemic. Good government groups and media members have pushed for the Senate to follow suit, but without success. The Senate leadership has cited lack of staff as the reason why it can't post bill testimony online. Unlike the House, which has full-time clerks, the Senate's clerks work part-time. But continued pressure, including from Sen. Mark McKenney, a Warwick Democrat and chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight, persuaded naysayers to come around. The Senate is planning to hire a new, full-time staffer specifically dedicated to sorting public commentary and posting it online with the appropriate committee to meet the rule change, using funds already allocated as part of its fiscal 2025 budget. The Senate has not hired anyone as of Thursday, with plans to use existing staff to fulfill the new posting requirement temporarily, said Greg Paré, a Senate spokesperson. Other changes included in the new set of rules include a new clause encouraging use of reusable beverage containers in the chamber, and reducing the mandated number of ethics and Human Rights Commission training senators are required to complete from one per year to once every two years. 'These were the revisions that had fairly broad support,' McKenney said prior to the vote. Senate President Dominick Ruggerio was among vocal proponents for publishing testimony online. 'Responsibly balancing our available resources with the many demands on staff is always a challenge, but it is time to take this important step forward,' Ruggerio said in a statement Thursday. 'Improving access to public testimony will strengthen the committee process, improve public transparency, and foster trust in government, all of which is essential to the work we do at the State House.' Ruggerio did not attend Thursday's session having just been released from Our Lady of Fatima Hospital's rehabilitation center earlier that day, Paré said. Ruggerio was admitted to the hospital in his North Providence district more than two weeks ago with pneumonia. He is expected to return to the Senate rostrum next week and is 'doing wonderfully,' Paré said in an email Thursday. Since lawmakers began meeting on Jan. 7, Ruggerio has missed seven out of 11 legislative sessions, prompting friction among Senate Democrats over how to respond to the absences and health challenges of their longtime leader. Ruggerio, 76, was forced to miss large chunks of the 2024 legislative session due to illness. He staved off a challenge for the president role from his former Majority Leader, Sen. Ryan Pearson, in November, though nearly one-third of Senate Democrats sided with Pearson in the caucus. Pearson, a Cumberland Democrat, along with Sens. Ana Quezada, a Providence Democrat, and Bridget Valverde, a North Kingstown Democrat, were absent from the vote Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RI lawmakers consider ‘Freedom to Read Act'
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Dozens gathered at the R.I. State House Wednesday evening to share their thoughts on a proposal that would ensure access to books in libraries across the state. The R.I. Senate Education Committee heard testimony from those both for and against the proposal Wednesday night. The 'Freedom to Read Act' would develop library collection policies in order to provide standards for the selection and curation of library material. It would also establish criteria for the removal of existing school library material and provide protection against censorship attempts. 'We can decide what books we want to check out from the library, and we can decide what our own children read or don't read,' said Sen. Mark McKenney, who introduced the legislation. 'But what we can't do is decide what everyone else gets to read or what other people's children get to read or not read.' RELATED: RI leaders, advocates push for 'Freedom to Read' bill at State House 'Reading is a gift, and it is so important that we stay protective of the gift of reading and that when someone wants to take it away, whether by banning books directly or by launching lawsuits attempting to intimidate libraries, schools and librarians because of a book they have on their shelves, we fight,' he continued. The proposal would also protect librarians, teachers and museum employees from civil and criminal charges over the materials in their collections. Rhode Island is the only state in New England that doesn't provide these protections, according to the Rhode Island Library Association. 'Children are naturally curious about their world, and our goal should be to ignite their passion for learning, giving them the tools to address their questions and leave them wanting more,' Community Libraries of Providence Director Cheryl Space said. 'In order to inspire reading, our youth need to see themselves in the books on our library shelves.' 'Librarians have a professional responsibility to provide a diversity of materials in our collection that reflect all of the people in our American society,' she continued. Space urged lawmakers to pass the legislation 'and let all Rhode Islanders know that they are valued and that their history, their point of view and their stories will be protected in our library collections.' '[The legislation] is supported by our youth, who stand to be the most affected by restricted access to library materials blunting their abilities to read factual information about their health and history,' Space testified. But not everyone is on board with the proposal. 'We shouldn't have to feel the need to hover over our children when they're at the library,' Ramona Bessinger testified, arguing that children may unintentionally stumble upon 'offensive material' while browsing a library's collection. '[The proposal's] objective is to give librarians sole authority in stocking library shelves with age-relevant items instead of age-appropriate items,' Moms of Liberty's Amy Rodriguez added. McKenny's proposal has been held for further study. The Senate so lawmakers can review the written testimony that was submitted. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
