URGENT!! Support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill!

Here is an update you on the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (BBBB) and lobby visits this week in New York City.

Governor David Paterson has proposed including the BBBB in the state budget.  The BBBB updates NY's 5-cent deposit law on beer and soda to include non-carbonated beverages, like bottled water, that now make up a third of the beverage market.  This would increase recycling and make our communities cleaner and healthier.   It also would require beverage companies, who currently keep the deposits when people don't return their bottles and cans, to turn this money over to the state.  This would generate more than $200 million a year for environmental protection in New York.

We are urging state law-makers to support Governor Paterson's proposal to include the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in the state's budget next year.  The next few weeks are critical to make our message heard, as the budget is expected to be approved by April 1st.  Please call or write your state legislators and urge them to support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.

Also, we have scheduled meetings with a number of State Senators the week of February 18^th to discuss the BBBB with them.  If you are a constituent of one of these Senators and would like to attend, please call Laura Haight at NYPIRG at 518-436-0876, ext. 258 or e-mail her at laurahaight@gmail.com.  Feel free to forward this e-mail to select others who you think might be interested in attending.

Manhattan

Senator Bill Perkins, Wednesday, Feb. 18^th at 2:30       

Senator Eric Schneiderman, Thursday, Feb. 19^th at 1:00 (meeting with staff)

Senator Daniel Squadron, Friday, Feb. 20^th at 1:15 (max. 12 people)

Bronx

Senator Jose Serrano, Wednesday, Feb. 18^th at 3:00 (max. 6 people)

Brooklyn

Senator Kevin Parker, Thursday, Feb. 19^th  at 2:30

Senator John Sampson, Thursday, Feb. 19^th at 5:15

Senator Martin Dilan, Friday, Feb. 20^th at 1:00

We were not able to schedule meetings with all the state senators in NYC, so if your senator is not on this list, please call him or her up and ask for their support of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. 

To find out who your state senator is, go to http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm. 

For more information about the BBBB, visit www.nypirg.org.

Thanks!