State Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, recently proposed a bill in the Iowa House that would update the state’s 20-year-old can redemption bill, but some local businesses aren’t buying into it.

The bill, which is under consideration in an environmental subcommittee, would expand the type of beverage containers included under the redemption law and increase the reimbursement amount received by redemption operators from 1 cent per container to 2 cents.

“I have talked to people in urban and rural areas, and everyone seems to think that there needs to be something more done. Grocery stores may be reluctant to support the bill because the volume [of containers] they redeem will go up,” Greimann said.

The bill would change the bottle law to include containers from wine coolers, tea, water, fruit and vegetable juices and all other non-carbonated drinks, excluding milk.

Greimann said the beverages’ costs to consumers would not be affected if they return their cans, although the 5 cents added to the price of every can of pop and other redeemable containers also would be added to the newly redeemable containers.

Monet Streit, store director at the Lincoln Center Hy-Vee, 640 Lincoln Way, said he is opposed to the bill because of the increased number of cans Hy-Vee employees would have to process, which would subsequently increase the amount of money spent on sorting and redeeming cans.

“It would hurt the amount of money customers can spend. We try to provide the lowest price possible to our consumers,” Streit said.

Streit said in the course of one week, Hy-Vee fills an 18-wheel semi-truck with crushed cans. Paying the employees who process these cans already costs the store about $200 per week, and increasing the volume of cans would increase how much money Hy-Vee spends to take care of them.

“We have several people who could do other things to better serve the public in the store,” he said.

Streit said he’s not anti-recycling, but he would prefer to see a law mandating curbside recycling.

“We need to be concerned about the environment more while not costing the people of Iowa,” he said.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 106 Alexander Ave., is one of the companies in Ames that picks up redeemable cans from collection sites such as Hy-Vee.

Branch manager Steve Williams said he also opposes the bill. He favors legislation that would establish a comprehensive city-redemption center as opposed to expanding redemption status to only certain types of recyclable material.

“The goal of Iowa should be to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste in landfills. Why are they selecting certain kinds of cans and not all cans? Why doesn’t [the bill] include cans such as from canned foods? There are a lot more things out there we can recycle. I don’t see how this bill will help,” Williams said.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. redeems cans as a benefit to its consumers and the community and does not make a profit in the process, he said. Expanding the redemption law to other containers will cost his company even more.

Greimann said she thought the concerns of can-redemption centers would be addressed by increasing the amount of money received per can. However, Williams said the increase would not be enough to cover the heightened volume of cans his company would have to process.

“I assure you that this will have a financial effect on my business,” he said.

However, Kelly Wilkening, president of the ISU Student Environmental Council, said she favors the bill because it encourages people to recycle and because she thinks it will help recycling centers stay in business.

“I support the current bottle bill and the new proposed bottle bill because it is an incentive to consumers to be socially responsible and take care of their community by being environmentally efficient,” said Wilkening, senior in hotel, restaurant and institution management.