The Houston Chronicle, in an editorial, calls for a beverage container deposit law to reduce litter.
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Editor's Insight: This editorial examines the trade off between requiring consumers to pay for container deposits and paying higher taxes for cleaning up the litter. The editorial further notes that recycling can create jobs that in turn deliver new tax revenues.
The editorial also notes that reverse vending machines can assist consumers in redeeming their used containers for the deposits. Hence, a container deposit law could create a business opportunity for vending operators.
There are a lot of considerations for lawmakers to weigh, which may be why the measure has been "bottled up" in committees. 04-22-11 by Elliot Maras