Rhode Island is asking residents to weigh in on a draft statewide analysis of bottle deposits and packaging recycling, with a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4.
The hearing begins at 1 p.m. in Room 300 of the Department of Environmental Management headquarters, 235 Promenade St., Providence. Online and telephone attendees may observe the hearing but cannot give spoken comments. They can submit comments using the online form or by mail.
The draft examines ways to collect and pay for recycling. One approach is a bottle deposit, under which a buyer pays a small amount with a beverage purchase and gets it back by returning the container.
Another is producer responsibility: requiring companies that put packaging on the market to help finance and manage recycling. The study compares program options; it does not itself create either requirement.
The public hearing will begin with an explanation of the draft, followed by comments. Written comments can be submitted through the form linked on DEM's study page.
The draft report is part of work required by a 2025 state law. Readers can review the report and its supporting appendices on the agency's website before commenting.
DEM's notice lists a Nov. 16 deadline at 4 p.m. for written comments.