"It's a huge intrusion by government into the private sector," said Larry Swann, president of the West Virginia Soft Drink Association.
The Citizen Action Group's proposal, modeled after bottle bills in 11 other states, would add a 10-cent refundable deposit to all beverage containers sold. Distributors would charge this to retailers, who would in turn charge it to consumers.
Consumers could then redeem empty containers at 10 cents apiece. Distributors would pick the empties up from a retailer or distribution center and pay the 10 cents plus a handling fee.
"That kind of tax increase on any kind of economic entity would be devastating," Swann said. "Any way you slice the pie, it's a tax increase."
The program would increase costs for customers beyond the 10-cent deposit, said Don Smith, general manager of Parkersburg Distributing Co., because distributors would be expected to pick up containers turned in for the deposit.
"Any time you involve more hours of labor, that cost has to be passed on somehow," he said.
Linda Mallet, program manager for the Citizen Action Group, said initial price increases have been noted when bottle bills go into effect, but they usually go back down.
"It seems like maybe that is a reaction that distributors have at first, but then it goes back to normal," she said.
Smith said existing recycling measures would be all that is needed if people would just participate.
"If they were simply utilized the way they should be, then a program like this wouldn't be necessary," he said.
Swann said beverage containers account for a small amount of waste and litter. Other materials such as paper and yard waste make up a much larger proportion.
Still, the Citizens Action Group said 40 to 60 percent of litter in the state consists of bottles and cans. Seven bottle bill states have shown success in reducing not only this type of litter, but all litter, according to the Container Recycling Institute, a non-profit organization that supports bottle bills.
The bottle bill could actually harm local recycling efforts, Swann said.
"If you take that voluntary recycling part out, you're actually hurting the overall recycling efforts," he said.
The National Soft Drink Association opposes bottle bills and said polls showed more than 70 percent of consumers preferred curbside recycling to deposits when given the choice.
Mallet said local programs can work with a bottle bill.
"It augments the system," she said. "(Cities) can focus their limited resources on other materials."
Hawaii became the most recent state to pass a bottle bill. On Oct. 1, it began charging distributors a half-cent for each bottle manufactured or imported into the state. The funds generated by this fee will be used in preparation for the program's full implementation in 2005 with a 5-cent refundable deposit.
Bottle bills have been proposed before in West Virginia and defeated. National bottle bills were introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives this year and are now in committees. -The Parkersburg News and Sentinel