A bill pending action in the state House of Representatives seeks to give Delaware food banks and food pantries millions of dollars in additional funding each year.
Under a 1982 law, people purchasing bottled, carbonated soft drinks and beer in Delaware pay a 5-cent deposit on each container. The deposit can be redeemed when the container is returned to the retailer or a redemption center.
Initially enacted to reduce roadside litter, the so-called “Bottle Bill” has never been very effective or popular with retailers.
“The result is that most bottles are never returned and the deposit money never redeemed,” said State Rep. Bill Oberle (R-Beecher’s Lot). “An estimated $3 million annually is never claimed and winds up in the hands of the beverage distributors.”
Under House Bill 307, sponsored by Oberle and State Sen. Patricia Blevins (D-Elsmere), all the money from unredeemed beverage container deposits would go into a new Food Bank Support Fund. The state-managed fund would give non-profit organizations feeding the needy an opportunity to receive grants to finance their humanitarian work.
The state Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Health and Social Services would be responsible for structuring the program and issuing annual reports to the General Assembly.
“I can’t think of a much better use for these abandoned deposits than to use them to feed the hungry,” Oberle said.
The "Bottle Bill" has been a source of considerable debate recently. The General Assembly passed H.B. 201 last June to repeal it, citing its lack of effectiveness. But Gov. Jack Markell vetoed the measure.
“Although I am sympathetic to those who argue that the current 'Bottle Bill' system is broken, I am committed to doing what I can to ensure that we replace it with something better,” Markell said at the time.
To that end, the governor unveiled a plan in January to dismantle the Bottle Bill program, transitioning the 5-cent deposit to a two-cent-per-bottle fee that would be used to support curbside recycling programs around the state.
“We have two totally different ideas, which coincidentally target the same funding source,” Oberle said. Given the current economy, and the increasing burden being placed on organizations feeding the hungry, I think my proposal addresses the more urgent need.”
HB 307 is currently pending action in the House Health & Human Development Committee.
