Carey is a secretary for the UMass chapter of the Massachusetts
Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) an organization involved in
grassroots efforts with issues such as identity theft, political
corruption and strengthening voter’s rights. This semester, Carey is the
lead coordinator of a project designed to promote more recycling in the
Commonwealth.
MASSPIRG is holding a kickoff event this Wednesday Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
in the Commonwealth room, on the first floor of the Student Union
located on the UMass campus. The event will be open to the public and
assists with MASSPIRG’s main goal of this semester; to improve a bill of
which the MASSPIRG organization was instrumental in passing during
1983, known as the Bottle Bill.
The Bottle Bill created the $0.05 deposit on soda and beer cans that
provides an extra incentive to recycle. Cans covered under the bottle
bill are 70 percent more likely to be recycled.
According to Carey the bill needs to be updated because of the
27-year interval brings on cultural and packaging changes with the
system.
“Thirty years ago, no one really paid attention to how much water
they were drinking, and Gatorade wasn’t around yet,” Carey said. “Water
bottles and Gatorade bottles now make up 80 percent of plastic bottles
today, but they aren’t covered under the bill.”
In order to pass a new Bottle Bill, MASSPIRG is building public
support on and off the UMass campus to show the Massachusetts
legislature that there is wide support for a more robust Bottle Bill.
Students at UMass have already been organizing. They have collected
signed water bottles to give to Mass. State Senator Stan Rosenberg to
show student support. They are also setting up meetings in local cities
and towns to join the 120 cities and towns already endorsing the Bottle
Bill.
Conflict is expected to arise from other interest groups due to the
increased costs of sorting and recycling. Carey, however, said she
remains hopeful. “It’s a really exciting challenge,” she said.
“Hopefully, it will have a great victory. It’s great to be a part of it.
