In The News

MPR discusses MRRA

Ben Olson answers the question, “what does it take to improve the rate of recycling in Minnesota?”

Faribault Daily News Article on Ben and Sarah

Sarah Heuer and Ben Olson are behind a bill that suggests adding a 10 cent deposit to all beverage containers in the state. They believe the deposit will increase recycling rates while reducing litter.
Read More

Pioneer Press Article on Ben and Sarah

Bemidji Pioneer Article on Ben and Sarah

Minnesota needs a push if it is to reach an 80 percent goal by 2012 to recycle beverage containers, say two young people who want a mandatory refund fee put on containers.

“We wanted to do something in public policy and recycling,” says Ben Olson, who with Sarah Heuer operate the Web site recyclingrefund.com.
Read More

Rochester Post Bulletin Article on Ben and Sarah

One of the most enjoyable aspects of being on a newspaper’s editorial board is that we occasionally meet with young, idealistic people who want to make the world a better place.

We had one of those meetings on Monday with two Bethel College graduates, Sarah Heuer and Ben Olson, who are leading the effort to create a 10-cent bottle-and-can deposit law in Minnesota. They aren’t employed by any environmental advocacy group — she teaches at a community college, and he is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth — yet their efforts have led to the introduction of bills in both the Minnesota House and Senate. Rep. Tina Liebling, a Rochester DFLer, has signed on as a co-author of the House bill.
Read More

Owattona Free Press Article on a Recycling Refund!

Legislation proposes beverage container recycling fee

By: WENDY REUER

Posted: Monday, February 15, 2010 11:53 pm

OWATONNA — Proponents of a beverage container recycling fee say the fee could raise about $90 million a year for the state of Minnesota, while opponents claim it will simply be another tax aimed at consumers.The bill — dubbed the Minnesota Recycling Refund Act — was first introduced in the Minnesota House in February 2009, written by Representative Melissa Hortman. The bill was referred to the Environment Policy and Oversight Committee.In March a similar bill was introduced in the Senate written by Sen. Katie Sieben.Two Minnesotans, Sarah Heuer and Ben Olson, are traveling around the state this week to discuss what they see as a beneficial recycling program. On Monday, they stopped in Owatonna.Olson said they found Minnesota is behind in beverage container recycling rates, coming in with recycling at only 35 percent. However, it is their hope a deposit program would raise those rates to more than 80 percent.The two have used Iowa as an example. In Iowa, the state has had a 5 cent deposit on beverage containers since 1979. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 90 percent of all beverage containers are recycled.

Read More…