Editor’s note: The writer sent this letter to Rep. Harvey Smith and Sen. Chris Bray.
While working to pick up the trash along the roads and in the DAR State Park near my home in Bridport this week, it occurred to me that an increase in the deposit on beverage bottles and cans would do more to take care of this problem than any public service announcement.
A little research told me that the container deposit legislation was passed in 1973, and the 5-cent deposit amount has not been changed since then. The consumer price index shows that 5 cents in 1973 is the equivalent of 27 cents today. Therefore, I would like you to introduce an update to the law to raise the deposit to 25 cents. I hope that people would think twice about tossing quarters out of their car windows and take the time and trouble to save and return them, as the law intended.
Those of us working to clean up the countryside would have a much-reduced work load, as these containers make up the majority of the trash along the roadways. And the school classes and Scout troops using container collection as fundraisers would benefit and be more motivated to find every stray can.
Alice C. Grau
Bridport