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BUSINESS Saturday 3 September 2022
California may add wine, liquor bottles to recycling program

By DON THOMPSON state’s recycling fund start-
Associated Press ing in 2024, along with an-
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) nual costs topping $6 mil-
— California would add lion, projects the California
wine and distilled spirits Department of Resources
containers to its struggling Recycling and Recovery,
recycling program, while generally known as CalRe-
giving beverage dealers cycle.
another option to collect Newsom’s administration
empty bottles and cans, has proposed grants for
under a measure lawmak- automated recycling ma-
ers approved Wednesday. chines, also known as re-
But critics say the bill would verse vending machines,
also give hundreds of mil- at high schools, colleges
lions of dollars to corpora- and retailers, and state-
tions they say don’t need funded mobile recycling
the incentives. programs in rural areas
It’s “a huge opportunity” and other places with few
to divert hundreds of ad- recycling options. It also
ditional tons of waste from has proposed temporar-
landfills, said Democratic ily doubling the refunds
Assemblyman Phil Ting, to encourage recycling
who carried the bill in the and give back a portion
Assembly. “This bill will be a Bottles of Apocalypse Now Red Blend wine stand on a tasting bar counter at the Francis Ford of nearly $600 million in un-
huge leap.” Coppola Winery on May 21, 2020, in Geyserville, Calif. Associated Press claimed deposits, but that
In addition, dealers could double refund is not in the
form a cooperative orga- The measure cleared the a nickel each time they those containers, accord- current proposal. Consum-
nization to collect the con- Assembly 54-0 and the Sen- buy a 12-ounce (355-mil- ing to the National Confer- er Watchdog, Container
tainers as an alternative ate 38-0. It will have an ef- liliter) bottle or can, and a ence of State Legislatures. Recycling Institute and The
to the current law that re- fective date of July 1, 2024, dime for containers over 24 Adam Smith, Distilled Spir- Story of Stuff Project ob-
quires stores to take back if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs ounces (709 milliliters). its Council of the United jected that Atkins’ proposal
the empties, under the pro- the bill into law. They’re supposed to get States’ vice president of contains too much pork for
posal by Senate President The bill doesn’t spell out that money back by return- state government relations, corporations, costing near-
pro Tempore Toni Atkins. how the cooperative ing the bottles and cans, praised the bill’s passage in ly $400 million over the next
Fewer people have been would work, but would an incentive so the con- a statement. five years for market devel-
able to claim their deposit require dealers to submit tainers don’t go into land- “The spirits industry believes opment and quality incen-
refunds in recent years as their plan to state regula- fills but can be recycled that sustainable environ- tives that the groups argue
many neighborhood recy- tors for approval. It would into new products.The pro- mental practices are criti- aren’t needed.
cling centers closed. The also increase the penalty posal would include a 25- cal to the continued pro- Of that, $300 million would
advocacy group Con- for violating the law from cent deposit and refund for duction of the high-quality go to glass container mak-
sumer Watchdog has said the current $1,000 to $5,000 wine and distilled spirits sold spirits that consumers en- ers including E&J Gallo
many grocery stores have per day and for intentional in a box, bag or pouch. joy,” he said. Winery’s Gallo Glass Com-
been refusing to take back violations from $5,000 to Hawaii, Iowa, Maine and Adding wine and spirits pany, the nation’s largest
empties in-store as re- $10,000 per day. Vermont already have de- would bring nearly $18 mil- glass container plant, they
quired. California consumers pay posit programs including lion more annually to the said.q

EU: US electric vehicle tax credit

reduces buyers’ choices

BRUSSELS (AP) — A new passed last month as a way continent.
U.S. tax credit aimed at to incentivize domestic bat- The European Commission
encouraging Americans to tery and electric vehicle said parts of the law can
buy electric vehicles may production. But manufac- help fight climate change
backfire and limit choices turers in Europe and South by accelerating the tran-
for consumers because Korea, which sell millions of sition away from fossil fu-
of concerns it’s weighed vehicles in the U.S., have els but the EU’s executive
against European Union threatened to lodge legal branch said it is concerned
manufacturers, the EU complaints with the World by the “potential discrimi-
trade chief said Thursday. Trade Organization. natory nature of electric
Valdis Dombrovskis held The law includes a tax cred- vehicle tax credit provi- An electric vehicle charges at a shopping center in Emeryville,
a virtual meeting with his it of up to $7,500 that could sion.” Calif., Aug. 10, 2022.
American counterpart be used to defray the cost “While the EU aims to co- Associated Press
Katherine Tai to address a of purchasing an electric operate closely with the ing the call that “that dis- of US consumers when they
wide range of trade issues, vehicle. But to qualify for US in climate action, green criminating against EU wish to buy electric vehi-
including the tax credit pro- the full credit, the electric measures should not be manufacturers makes it cles.”
vision. vehicle must contain a designed in a discrimina- much more difficult for The EU Commission said
Democrats included the battery built in North Amer- tory, WTO-incompatible them to contribute to the both sides agreed to con-
credit in the climate and ica with 40% of the metals way,” it said. electrification of vehicles in tinue discussions on the
health care policy law mined or recycled on the Dombrovskis recalled dur- the US, reduces the choice topic.q