Supporters want bottle bill strengthened by Legislature

Supporters of Iowa’s “bottle bill” descended on the statehouse today to call for expanding the bottle deposit law. Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was among the group that wants to double the handling fee paid to grocery stores and redemption centers that collect the cans and bottles. That fee is now one cent. If the handling fee went to two cents, however, the five-cent deposit for returning cans and bottles would not change. Iowa Recycling Association executive director Garth Frable says the bottle bill dramatically reduces litter.Branstad, who was a state legislator at the time, supported the bottle bill when it was enacted more than 20 years ago and says it’s been a great bill.A recent University of Northern Iowa survey shows 77 percent of Iowans support expanding the bottle bill, but Iowa Legislators have avoided it, as grocery store chains object.