Dive Brief:
- The American Beverage Association has teamed with a group of supermarket chains to fund a campaign aimed at halting a proposed expansion of a Massachusetts beverage container recycling law.
- Voters are set to decide whether or not the commonwealth should require deposits on non-carbonated drinks like bottled waters and teas. The state already requires a 5-cent deposit for beers, malt beverages, sparking waters, etc.
- A new ad from the ABA-funded "No on Question 2: Stop Forced Deposits" group says passing the law would lead to higher prices for consumers.
Dive Insight:
Back in 2003, Massachusetts decided to stop using millions of dollars in unclaimed deposits for recycling efforts and park clean-ups, and instead funnel the cash into the state's general funds. That's made it quite easy for opponents of the new law to argue that new deposits aren't aimed so much at reducing litter as they are at boosting the state's revenue. The ad from "No on Question 2" calls the proposal "a money grab."