Litter Reduction: How Effective is the New York State Bottle Bill?

Examined the effectiveness of the anti-litter New York Bottle Bill by using a multiple-time series design in which 7 observations of the number of returnable and nonreturnable bottles and cans were taken on a highway exit and railroad tracks in New York and New Jersey every 2 wks prior to and after implementing the bill in 1983. Another 2 observations were made 10 and 12 mo later. Results indicate a significant decrease in returnable litter on the highway exit in New York as compared with New Jersey. A decrease in returnable litter was also found for the railroad tracks in New York when only deposit bottles and cans were counted. Results for nonreturnable litter indicated no significant differences. It is concluded that the New York State Bottle Bill, requiring a 5-cent deposit on most bottles and cans, was an effective strategy for decreasing the amount of returnable litter but had no effect on nonreturnable bottles and cans. (17 ref)