Queens Recycler, L.I. Liquor Stores Targeted in Bottle Scam
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (AP/1010 WINS) -- Authorities say a Queens recycler and five Long Island liquor stores made hundreds of thousands of dollars by redeeming beverage containers more than once.
The recycling company's owner is accused of sending previously redeemed containers back to Long Island in exchange for a cut of the profits.
Prosecutors say a store owner distributed the containers to other retailers. They were redeemed by apparently unwitting beverage wholesalers, which had to pay the nickel deposit and 2-cent handling fee.
Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo were announcing the crackdown Tuesday. The investigation was expanded following some arrests last month.
7 comments:
I'm sure everyone involved was already stinking rich. What we need here is some jail time.
They'll just get a fine, which is ironic because they probably made more money than the fine will be.
Stinking long island trash.
The problem is with the bottle bill itself. This is what happens when the government tries to privatize trash collection.
Last Anonymous: Do you have a better solution for recycling?
We are all recycling now. No need for a .5 cent bottle deposit anymore. It should be done away with. Problems like this and unwanted individuals rummaging through your garbage should cease.
NY is one of only about 10 or 11 states that have a "bottle bill". Every other state mandates curbside recycling and the munipalities actually MAKE MONEY by providing this service. This is just another example of lousy lawmaking by our elected officials.
At the end of the day, the $0.05 deposit is just another tax on the working class. Do you really think people living in small apartments with large families have space to store all these empty bottles? Of course not. So they get thrown out instead of redeemed. The environmentalists are so out of touch on this issue it is not even funny.
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