Hawaii's Bottle Bill

[Albert]

I noticed at Foodland yesterday that new separate entry on the sales receipt, was surprised the Bottle Bill "tax" is going to be kept separate from the base price of the object. I was also surprised to see it appear this soon, since I understood it doesn't go into effect until November 1st. But I guess Foodland was just getting their computer system ready for it, because that entry was not on receipts this morning.

This surely is going to increase the number of "trashpickers", and that already has begun. I overheard a man in the mall boasting to a friend about his huge bag, evidently filled with plastic bottles he'd harvested. "Five cents apiece!" he said.

Somehow, though, I can't see many people collecting the big, heavy forty-ounce beer bottles in order to profit five pennies.

[Miulang]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

I noticed at Foodland yesterday that new separate entry on the sales receipt, was surprised the Bottle Bill "tax" is going to be kept separate from the base price of the object. I was also surprised to see it appear this soon, since I understood it doesn't go into effect until November 1st. But I guess Foodland was just getting their computer system ready for it, because that entry was not on receipts this morning.

This surely is going to increase the number of "trashpickers", and that already has begun. I overheard a man in the mall boasting to a friend about his huge bag, evidently filled with plastic bottles he'd harvested. "Five cents apiece!" he said.

Somehow, though, I can't see many people collecting the big, heavy forty-ounce beer bottles in order to profit five pennies.

This is going to create a whole industry for the homeless, and certainly make the rest of the citizens aware of the environmental costs of not recycling. I think they have to keep that tax separate from the rest of the things on your register list because the state is the one who will be collecting that money (plus, there's no sales tax on food, is there?). Oregon has a bottle bill that requires a deposit on each bottle, WA does not. Oregon has less of a trash on the side of the road problem than WA does.

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

I think Costco has been itemizing the "HI BEVERAGE FEE" for a while now.

No one likes taxes, but I'll complain less about taxes for things like this. Besides, unlike, say, a gas tax, you can recoup your money (well, 5 out of 6 cents), if you're the one that does the recycling -- It's just that most folks will just leave it to "someone else," and fortunately there are a lot of "someone elses" willing to do the collecting and returning.

Apparently, there are already some bottlers adding "HI 5¢" - even though you won't get to collect that until Jan. 1.

Here are a couple of informational sites:

• Beverage Container Deposit Law (City & County of Honolulu Department of Refuse)
• Hawaii Deposit Beverage Container Program (Hawaii State Department of Health)

there's no sales tax on food, is there?

Yes, we do have a tax on food, and on medicine, and on other products that several other states exempt. In fact, we have an "excise" tax, which is a compounding tax, rather than a simple sales tax. Meaning, a product can be taxed several timies already before it's taxed in the last transaction to the consumer.

[Mocha]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

Thanks for the links Pzarquon! It's interesting that they want the recycled items in "pristine" condition! I have to remember NOT to crush the cans...I'm used to crushing them so I can get as many as possible into the garbage bag.

[mel]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

The bottle bill fee is a tax... plain and simple. All new taxes are bad for consumers and in this case also bad for business as this entire program will increase costs for doing business which will be passed along to the consumers.

No New Taxes. Period.

People don't learn. Taxes hurt consumer wallets.

[Miulang]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

The bottle bill fee is a tax... plain and simple. All new taxes are bad for consumers and in this case also bad for business as this entire program will increase costs for doing business which will be passed along to the consumers.

No New Taxes. Period.

People don't learn. Taxes hurt consumer wallets.

In many cases, that's true, Mel. But on this particular issue, if you continue on the same/old same/old path of no bottle tax, how would you get people to learn to recycle more? How would you deal with the ever-mounting piles of opala alongside your highways and county beaches?

Being fiscally responsible is one thing. Not also being invested in the well-being of an entire island and/or community is not being responsible. Since this tax only affects people who buy their beverages in bottles, there is one alternative, I guess: don't buy any beverage that's in a bottle or can!

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

Hey, like I said, I'm no fan of taxes. But taxes on medicine people need to survive (which we do) is one thing, taxing a Pepsi is another. No one's making you drink Gatorade. Heck... buy a big bottle once, pay the tax only once, and fill it at the tap or at a water vending machine.

The "bottle bill" raises revenue for a program that - in a partnership between government, business, and individual people willing to pick up irresponsible people's discards - fights an environmental/social ill that affects everyone. It directly impacts the people who contribute to the problem (buyers of bottled items), yet those who do buy bottled beverages and take the time to recycle will only be minimally impacted. One cent per beer seems reasonable to me to not have to navigate around glass litter in parks or on roads.

Six cents per beer to assuage the guilt of not recycling seems reasonable to me too.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

Now if someone could only come up with a way to get people to stop throwing their cigarette butts on the ground. Those damned things are made of cotton fiber and they take decades to deteriorate.

[Albert]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

One advantage of being poor is that you do NOT pay the tax on food ... if you use foodstamps.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

Albert, does that mean that if you use foodstamps to purchase a beverage, you don't have to pay the 6-cent fee?

[Albert]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

"Albert, does that mean that if you use foodstamps to purchase a beverage, you don't have to pay the 6-cent fee?"

I'll have to check that out. Although, usually the "beverages" I buy can't be bought with foodstamps.

Well ... except in some places in Chinatown (where you wouldn't get a receipt anyway ... or be charged tax).

[Konaguy]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

The bottle bill fee is a tax... plain and simple. All new taxes are bad for consumers and in this case also bad for business as this entire program will increase costs for doing business which will be passed along to the consumers.

Ok Mel, I guess you do not care about encouraging recycling and want to
spend even more taxpayer money to build landfills or ship our trash to
the mainland. Correct me if I'm wrong or I misunderstand your position.

[Konaguy]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

In many cases, that's true, Mel. But on this particular issue, if you continue on the same/old same/old path of no bottle tax, how would you get people to learn to recycle more? How would you deal with the ever-mounting piles of opala alongside your highways and county beaches?

Yeah I'm drooling to find out what Mel's solution is

[Albert]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

It's back on Foodland receipts, although they are only charging one cent right now.

[mel]

Re: HI Beverage Fee

Hey, like I said, I'm no fan of taxes. But taxes on medicine people need to survive (which we do) is one thing, taxing a Pepsi is another. No one's making you drink Gatorade. Heck... buy a big bottle once, pay the tax only once, and fill it at the tap or at a water vending machine.

You forget that we are now being taxed TWICE for that Pepsi. The general excise tax which hits all goods and services at serveral levels in Hawaii is applied to this. The bottle bill tax is an ADDITIONAL TAX to the cost of the product. And even if you redeem your bottle you are still being hit with the 1 penny the state takes away on every bottle, not to mention the hassle of storing and actually returning the damn things.

You cannot be a "no fan of taxes" and turn around to support a tax increase. Sounds like all of the Democrats down at the legislature.

A consistent "no new taxes" policy is just that. Opposition to all new taxes and tax increases. Here in Hawaii people forget that we have one of the highest tax burdens in the nation. The bottle bill doesn't help ease this burden one iota.

A link for further reading.

Bottle Up The Bottle Bill

This person runs and operates a small business and the implementation of this new tax will hurt her and her own efforts to deal with recycling.

I don't expect any of you tax and spend liberals to understand any of this. I am in the minority here for sure and you guys can all fall on me like a ton of bricks. But I won't change my mind on this issue regarding this tax. And I expect neither will any of you.

So be it.