By Mark Wozniak
Buffalo, NY – Environmentalists and civic groups say the state's financial problems could be eased by expanding the can and bottle law.
They want New York's 1982 "bottle law" expanded to impose nickel deposits on containers holding non-carbonated beverages such as water and juices. They also want unclaimed deposits to be turned back to the state instead of pocketed by the beverage industry.
Advocates estimated that an expanded bottle law could produce as much as $177 million a year, as the state faces projected budget shortfalls of up to $10 billion over the next 15 months.