Grocers across the state of Iowa want to put an end to the bottle bill, the 1978 anti-litter law that requires a five-cent deposit on wine, liquor, beer and pop containers. They claim that the empty cans and bottles create a contamination problem that is jeopardizing the safety of food in the stores. Yet, according to the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, there hasn’t yet been one health violation in Iowa caused by cans and bottles in its 23-year history.

It would actually appear as if the grocery industry in Iowa is sick of going through the hassle of providing facilities and manpower to partake in the process, trying to save itself some cash. It wants the state to establish a recycling program of its own, claiming that that would expand recycling beyond current levels.

There is a lot of false logic being applied to that idea. Sure, it would be great if every citizen in Iowa would take the time to recycle all their recyclable products. In fact, that is something much needed in Iowa and across the country.

But they won’t.

The bottom line is that without that 5 cent compensation incentive the bottle bill provides, people just aren’t going to take the time to recycle their cans and bottles. It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality.

A petition being circulated through some grocery stores is collecting signatures from customers in support. But the people signing those petitions are being scared into believing there is a impending health crisis as a result of these dirty pop and beer cans. That is not true, and the Iowa Grocery Industry Association knows that.

In fact, if the grocery stores are interested in expanding the state recycling programs, as they claim, one way to do that would be to initiate recycling capabilities for more than just beer, wine, liquor and pop containers.

Why not make juice containers, water bottles, milk cartons and other beverage containers a part of the bottle bill?

That would increase the amount of recycling in the state as a whole, something beneficial for everyone.

There isn’t enough recycling in the state of Iowa as it is. Eliminating the bottle bill will not help that.

What will help is to keep the bottle bill in law, while also working to establish alternative recycling programs in the state. State grocers should not be the sole solution to the problem, and that argument from them is a well-founded one.

But until the state establishes an all-encompassing recycling program, something not likely in the near future, there must be that compensation-laden program established with the bottle bill. People are lazy and won’t recycle unless they’re getting their money back.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell