{"id":206076,"date":"2026-04-22T15:14:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T15:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/206076\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T15:14:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T15:14:17","slug":"study-says-better-bottle-policies-could-boost-recycling-to-90-while-saving-millions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/206076\/","title":{"rendered":"Study says better bottle policies could boost recycling to 90% while saving millions"},"content":{"rendered":"

TROY, N.Y. (WNYT) \u2013 One study is highlighting how changes to New York\u2019s bottle deposit system<\/a> could significantly increase recycling rates while also saving money for local communities.<\/p>\n

According to the report<\/a>, New York currently recycles about 66% of its beverage containers. But with an expanded bottle bill and a stronger deposit return system, that number could climb to more than 90%.<\/p>\n

Advocates say that the jump would keep millions of additional bottles and cans out of landfills and move more materials into recycling streams where they can be reused.<\/p>\n

Blair Horner with the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG)<\/a> says while recycling programs exist, the state has struggled to improve its performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is there are different kinds of programs that exist \u2026 to pull the waste out of the waste stream so that it doesn\u2019t end up in the landfill,\u201d Horner said. \u201cThe bad news is that in New York, the recycling rate has been stagnant now for many years, and New York is not doing a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study also examined how those changes could impact local communities, using Troy as an example.<\/p>\n

Researchers found the city could save between $40,000 and $70,000 per year in municipal waste costs by reducing the amount of trash and recycling that needs to be collected. Statewide, savings could reach tens of millions of dollars through reduced expenses for collection, disposal, and litter management.<\/p>\n

However, the report notes potential tradeoffs. Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), which sort and process recyclables, could see revenue losses if fewer bottles and cans pass through their systems. Those losses could be offset if facilities adjust tipping fees or find ways to capture value from deposit containers.<\/p>\n

The study also points to broader economic factors, including rising aluminum costs tied to tariffs. Canada is the largest supplier of aluminum to the United States, and higher prices could make recycling domestic materials more valuable.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs tariffs raise the price of aluminum from Canada, it makes the aluminum products in the United States \u2026 more valuable,\u201d Horner said. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping that will stimulate recycling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond economics, the report raises concerns about landfill capacity. Experts warn that without changes, landfills could run out of space or require new permits to expand in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Supporters say improving recycling systems now could ease that pressure while creating a more sustainable long-term approach to waste management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to reflect on what policies can make the future Earth more helpful to the people who live here,\u201d Horner said.<\/p>\n

Advocates argue that expanding the bottle bill is one step toward that goal-\u00a0 increasing recycling rates, reducing waste, and helping communities manage costs at the same time.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Related Stories:\u00a0Earth Day<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Bottle Bill<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Better Bottle Bill<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0NEW YORK BOTTLE BILL<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TROY, N.Y. (WNYT) \u2013 One study is highlighting how changes to New York\u2019s bottle deposit system could significantly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":206077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[81717,24916,128,53013,9,81718,24,63,129,131,130],"class_list":{"0":"post-206076","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-bronx","8":"tag-better-bottle-bill","9":"tag-bottle-bill","10":"tag-bronx","11":"tag-earth-day","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-bottle-bill","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-nyc","16":"tag-the-bronx","17":"tag-the-bronx-headlines","18":"tag-the-bronx-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/206077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}