News 14 Carolina's Jennifer Moxley has more on the possible impact of this upcoming change.
NORTH CAROLINA -- A new law will affect every North Carolina business that sells alcohol; and it could show up on consumers’ bills.
Starting Jan. 1, businesses with alcohol permits have to start sorting and recycling their glass, plastics and cans. State legislators passed the law three years ago, and supporters said businesses would save money by throwing away less trash.
Some bar owners disagree and say there will be extra costs to recycle that they will have to pass on to customers.
Brothers Mark and Brian Wilson hope to open their new Central Avenue bar, The Thirsty Beaver Saloon, in a few weeks. When Brian went to get the alcohol permit he found out the new law was in the way.
“In order to get a license you have to have a contract with someone to pick up your recycling,” he said.
Only five North Carolina counties will pick up the recyclables and 51 counties in the state will allow businesses to drop off the recyclables at county owned centers.
Wilson says it's a big task and the county could make it easier. “If there were more recycling centers in the city that'd be a little easier for everyone so maybe eventually there'll be a center close by that everybody can take something to,” he said. To start off, Wilson is going to haul his businesses’ recycling to a county site. “The closest recycling center is about 15 minutes away, so it’s going to be a little of an ordeal, but I’ll manage somehow.”
The NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission will enforce the law by requiring businesses to report recycling plans and through on-site visits.
The NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission will enforce the law by requiring businesses to report recycling plans and through on-site visits.
Some neighboring bars are working together on a recycling plan together to help share the cost but what's left over could end up on the customer’s tab.
“Prices will go up. I'm sure everybody across the board will have to implement some small price increases to make up for the all containers we have to rent and the guys trucking it out of here,” said William Acquario, the owner of Tavern on the Tracks.
Acquario has been in business for about five years. He said his business has plenty of recyclable materials, and they’ll follow the law, but he says it doesn’t make much sense to recycle. “It’s just another bit of legislation that gets passed on down to the consumer unfortunately,” he said.
The law covers recycling of glass bottles, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Through previous legislation, aluminum cans were banned from disposal in North Carolina. By October 2009, plastic bottles will also be banned from disposal. For most ABC permit holders, glass bottles will be the majority of the materials generated for recycling.
Some bars may even get rid of as many bottles as they can for a product that pays to recycle- cans. “It’s not economically feasible to recycle bottles and plastics. Cans you get money for because it is a valuable commodity,” said Wilson.
If a business doesn't follow the recycling program, owners could be fined or lose their alcohol permits.