Without deposit, many bottles trashed

WWLP TV

Updated: Jun 15, 2012 10:16 PM

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) — After Thursday’s committee vote, it appears that the proposal to expand the bottle deposit law will be set aside once again.

Right now, customers pay a five-cent deposit on beer and soda bottles, and they can get that money back if they return the bottles to redemption centers, but the expanded bill would have added these deposits to water, juice, tea, and sports drink bottles.

Managers at Kappy's Liquors in Chicopee told 22News that some customers still bring in water, juice or tea bottles, but once they find out that the redemption center can't accept them, they just throw the bottles away.

“Sometimes they leave them in the parking lot because they are flustered,” Kappy’s Manager Gaby Hochrein said.

Fellow manager Gary Collucci agreed that the law as it is can be upsetting to some people.

“It's frustrating for the customers, because they have it all situated to return, but the guy behind the bottle area tells them: ‘we don't take those,’ they get a little frustrated,” he said.

It is likely that the proposal will not be voted on until next January, when the next legislative session begins.

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