It’s time to put Mr. Trash Wheel on a diet.
Environmentalists say the iconic Baltimore waterfront hero has gobbled up too many plastic bottles — 1.8 million to be exact — over the last decade. They are pushing the Maryland General Assembly to pass a ‘bottle bill’ in the upcoming session in hopes of increasing recycling.
To draw attention to the scale of bottle pollution in the region’s waterways, volunteers recently sifted through a dumpster at the Baltimore Toolbank, gathering evidence to support a statewide Bottle Bill.
According to the Container Recycling Institute, 5.5 billion beverage containers are sold in Maryland every year, but only about a quarter of them get recycled. That leaves more than four billion containers annually going into incinerators, landfills or left to litter the environment.
“It’s costly to burn plastics, and it’s harmful to human health,” said Martha Ainsworth, with the Sierra Club. “ There's a lot of toxic materials embedded in those plastics. And no one really knows what the impact will be. We have to reduce this.”
The Bottle Bill, officially known as the Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program, would add a 10-cent refundable deposit on beverage containers including those made out of glass or can. When consumers purchase a drink, they’d pay the deposit. When they return the empty bottle to a store, reverse vending machine, or drop-off point, they’d get that deposit back.
Supporters believe the program could increase recycling rates to 90% or higher, similar to the success seen in other states that have enacted similar laws.
The key to such high recycling rates is to have convenient locations which the bill calls for. As Ainsworth puts it, “people would buy the beverage, but borrow the bottle.”
Despite success in other states, the bottle bill has failed to pass in Maryland many times. Delegate Jen Terrasa, the bill’s lead sponsor in the House, said the proposal has faced opposition from the beverage industry.
Critics argue the bill would create a complex system adding unnecessary government oversight, which could harm existing recycling programs. Despite the opposition, Terrasa is optimistic about the bill’s chances.
“There’s more awareness now about the problems with plastic,” Terrasa said. “People are learning more every year, and we’re hopeful that more legislators will support the bill as they become more educated about the issue.”
She encouraged people to testify in support of the bill when the General Assembly convenes on January 8, 2025.
Senate President Bill Ferguson, who has sponsored the bill in the past, is also hopeful. “We’re looking forward to taking a deep look at this bill this year,” Ferguson said. “Obviously, with the federal election, things are uncertain. But if we can find ways to create a cleaner environment, we’ll do it.”
After digging through the dumpster, volunteers sorted through trash which they separated into various piles. William Banks, 10 carefully tallied the number of single use plastic bottles.
“I've seen all kinds of bottles,” he said. “I think this is like a salt shaker,” Banks said as he counted 595 small plastic bottles. His tallies, along with a sculpture of a rockfish stuffed with bottles, will be shared with lawmakers in Annapolis.
Adam Lindquist, vice president of the Waterfront Partnership, which helps with cleanup efforts, believes the data and the visual of a stuffed Rocky will push lawmakers to finally pass the bill.
“We don’t want Mr. Trash Wheel to sit at the end of the Jones Falls eating garbage all day,” Lindquist said. “By passing this legislation, we can change the behavior that leads to the pollution and ultimately put Mr. Trash Wheel out of business.”
Lindquist is encouraged by the success of past environmental initiatives such as the city’s bans on styrofoam containers and plastic bags. According to the Waterfront Partnership, those bans led to an 86% reduction in foam containers in the Baltimore's waterways and a 63% decrease in plastic bag litter.
“I would love to plan the Mr. Trash Wheel retirement party,” referencing the googly-eyed trash interceptor. “That sounds like a lot of fun.”
