No Deposit No Return

The Michigan House of Representatives recently passed legislation aimed at excluding alcoholic drink pouches from the deposit law. Michigan currently is one of the states that requires a “10-cent deposit on soft drinks, soda water, carbonated natural or mineral water, other non-alcoholic carbonated drinks; beer, ale, other malt drink of any alcoholic content; or a mixed wine or spirit drink that is contained in an airtight metal, glass, paper or plastic container, or a container composed of a combination of those materials.”  Somehow the current House membership has seen fit to find exclusion for pouches. Think Captain Morgan and Coke in a Capri Sun pouch.


This is a giant step in the wrong direction. Whatever economic benefit may be imagined from this move it will certainly be quickly outweighed by the volume of garbage that will litter streets, parks, and campuses across Michigan. Playing to the agenda of the beverage industry has obvious value to elected officials but little value to the public in general and demonstrates complete disregard for one of this state’s greatest treasures: Her beauty and natural resources.


I am one who believes our present deposit laws do not go far enough. As I walk the short distance from my home to work several days each week, I am disgusted by the number of times I see bags, cups, lids, and boxes from fast food restaurants thrown to the curb. I only wish this nation, this state—or even just our local government-- had the moxie to step up and levy a tax on the fast food take-out industry to help cover the cost of picking up the litter their industry creates. I would also support an additional surcharge to cover energy costs and pollution associated with cars idling in take-out drive-thru lanes as well as a contribution to support government funded programs to combat the epidemic of obesity.  


I recognize the individual’s responsibility in all of this. We have an obligation to look after our health as well as to be good citizens and not litter in the first place.  Be that as it may, we all get stuck paying the substantial direct and indirect costs associated with litter and obesity. Now we can soon add beverage pouches to the detritus that collects in our public spaces as city, county, and state funds fall short of the means needed to keep our streets and public spaces free of garbage.


Whatever urgency we may imagine exists to create jobs and foster a hospitable business climate here in Michigan, passing such an exemption is gross negligence and abandonment of all fiduciary responsibility lawmakers have for the care and keeping of our natural environment. The beverage industry stands to make substantial profits in direct proportion to the volume of litter we’ll find tossed about our beautiful state. 


Some things should just cost more.