Group seeks changes to bottle law
Maine beverage industry officials are pushing for changes to the state's bottle redemption laws, following reports of an alleged $10,000 redemption scheme.
At a press conference Friday, an industry group led by the Maine Beverage Association and the Maine Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association proposed a review of the state's redemption program to address the significant costs the current law passes onto the industry, according to the Bangor Daily News. The group estimated that 10% of the bottles redeemed in Maine, or about 90 million containers, are brought in from other states and fraudulently redeemed, costing distributors about $8 million annually. Recently, a couple who runs Green Bee Redemption in Kittery has been indicted on fraudulently redeeming more than 100,000 out-of-state containers for $10,000, and a Massachusetts man was indicted for redeeming more than $1,000 worth of ineligible containers in the state.
The group urged the state to look at comprehensive recycling programs recently instituted in other states. Sen. David Hastings III, R-Fryeburg, has filed a resolve in the Legislature to convene stakeholders to study the program, according to the paper.
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