Wanted: More Bottle Recycling Opportunities

“Bottle Refunds, and More” (editorial, June 2) proposes the placement of government-sponsored receptacles for the collection of cans and bottles. A good solution, but not the best. I propose that the stores that collect our deposits be required to collect our empties and refund deposits. None of the markets in my West Los Angeles area accept empties.

Legislation requiring markets to accept our empties is the simplest solution. It worked once. It will work again.

Stephen H. Tabor

Los Angeles

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Re “Water Bottles Are Creating a Flood of Waste” (May 28) misses the key point. Once Angelenos leave home there is a shortage of plastic recycle bins available to throw personal water bottles in. The appeal of small water bottles is that they are portable, and we take them everywhere. The problem is, wherever you finish off that little bottle, there is no place to throw it but in a general trash can.

Raising the reimbursement per bottle for recycling is not going to appeal to individual consumers because convenience is why people buy them in the first place. The answer is to provide incentives to businesses, schools and recreation areas to maintain easily accessible recycle bins. If the bins were there when we needed them we would toss those bottles in.

Nancy Theroux

Tarzana