Dive Brief:

• As citizens prepare to vote about expanding the Massachusetts bottle deposit law, an opposition group -- No On Question 2: Stop Forced Deposits -- aired a television ad claiming 90% of Massachusetts residents have curbside collection programs. The group argued that additional bottle deposits are not needed to increase recycling rates across the state.
• Backers of the proposal have lashed back, saying that the figure quoted is not accurate. 
• In response, the industry group added a citation to the figure, which attributes the number quoted to a state agency -- the Office of Energy. However, the agency also disputes the figure used in the ad.

Dive Insight:

The “No On Question 2: Stop Forced Deposits” organization is backed by grocery stores and beverage companies. If Question 2 is passed, the state bottle deposit law will be expanded to include water bottles, sports drinks and teas. The organization asserts that using bottle deposits to reduce litter and encourage recycling is an outdated practice.

The state DEP contends that the department estimates 64% of Massachusetts residents have access to curbside recycling collections. Ed Coletta, a spokesperson for the DEP said that the 90% figure “doesn’t match the information that I have.”