SB 522 would punish people who collect and return bottles and cans as an act of survival, instituting $250 fines for those who return 25 or more out-of-state beverage containers at redemption stations.
Returning bottles is an important source of income for many people living in poverty. Fining people for acts of survival — people who are trying to scrape by enough money to survive — is deeply problematic and likely to exacerbate issues of poverty in our communities.
