New Yorkers for Real Recycling Reform Call For Legislature to Reject Bottle Tax

ALBANY, NY (11/17/2008)(readMedia)-- (ALBANY) New Yorkers for Real Recycling Reform, a coalition of New York businesses, labor unions and large and small food stores today called upon the New York State Legislature to reject the idea of hurting New York consumers and businesses by raising food taxes.

"With food prices on the rise due to the global economic situation and certain energy policies, it is clear that this is the wrong time to implement an expansion of the bottle law which will escalate food prices even further," said James Rogers, President and CEO of the Food Industry Alliance of New York State.

The proposal to expand the bottle deposit law to include virtually every product in the beverage aisle while taking the unclaimed deposits as revenue for the State. Currently, the unclaimed deposits are used by businesses to implement the State's mandate.

New York businesses, facing declining consumer confidence, can little afford such a mandated cost increase, which regrettably must be passed along to consumers, resulting in a price increase of up to $.15 per bottle of beverages such as kids' juice drinks, iced teas, sports drinks, bottled water, etc. Only $.05 will be refundable.

With economists expecting the consumer price index for food to increase 7-9% in 2009, a case of children's drinks will increase in cost from $20 to $21.60 (an 8% increase). The expanded bottle law proposal will increase the cost to $25.20 - a total price increase of 26%. Of that increase, only $3.60 would be refundable.

"No matter how you look at it, a tax is a tax. Unfortunately, that pot of money is coming from New Yorkers' pockets," said Rogers.

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New Yorkers for Real Recycling Reform is a coalition of New York businesses, labor unions and retailers, who believe that New York should look to comprehensive solutions - Real Recycling Reform - and not an outdated, ineffective and costly idea like bottle law expansion.