The Unknown Critic

California lawmakers are certainly no strangers to being innovative when it comes to laws that are of a "self serving" nature and give the state itself immunity from these very same laws that it creates.

Most plastic containers that were previously not required to have a deposit on them are now required to carry a California container deposit call "crv" which stands for California redemption value. Water and juice bottles previously not required to carry a deposit (CRV) are now required to have one.

The strange part is that these new laws seem to have been specifically written in such a way as to insure a loophole was available for the welfare related assistance program called WIC, which stands for women, infants and children.

The WIC program provides milk and juice products for children who's parents could not otherwise afford to buy them.

If you walk into a grocery store in California and go into the juice isle and pickup a bottle of pure 100% apple juice you will not pay a deposit on this clear plastic container.

Now look at the product made by that very same company in an identical clear plastic container that lets say is only 10% apple juice. You will be required to pay a deposit (CRV) on this absolutely identical container made from the very same plastic.

This CRV deposit is not limited to apple juices, but to any100% juice products vs the non 100% juice products.

Strange ? yes, very strange indeed, considering these containers are identical.

Here is why I believe this was done and is a law that needs some change.

The welfare program called "WIC"only allows recipients to purchase 100% juice products
(no deposit required)

They cannot use their coupons to purchase those products that are not 100% pure juice
(Deposit required).

The only reason that I can justify is that there is no reason that these two identical containers would not carry the exact same deposit is that WIC does not want to pay a deposit on millions upon millions of containers per year.

But should the state be allowed to pollute our landfills when containers that should carry a deposit so the recycling centers will accept them do not have appropriate deposits , just so they do not have to shell out deposit money for these containers..... I think not !

Thats my opinion, whats yours ?

Written by: The Unknown Critic

March 10th 2008