Council Wants MA To Expand 'Bottle Bill' To Nips, Water Bottles

MELROSE, MA — A City Council subcommittee on Monday night supported a resolution urging the state legislature to extend the "Bottle Bill" to include nips and water bottles.

The resolution, which is a formal show of support, comes as a special act legalizing the retail sale of alchohol in the city makes its way through the legislature. Nips were reluctantly included as part of the act, and Monday's resolution is a step to lessen what some fear will be increased litter.

The resolution would see single-use alchohol and water bottle containers added to the list of beverage containers that can be returned for a minimum 5 cent deposit. The current law, which took effect in 1983, covers only carbonated beverages.

In a sign of the times, the Council met virtually for a Legal & Legislative Committee meeting. City Hall is closed and any meeting of the Council would violate suggested public gathering limits put in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The majority of the Council cited significant public response in supporting the resolution, which was sponsored by all members except for John Tramontozzi, Shawn MacMaster and newly sworn in Maya Jamaleddine — though she does support the resolution.

Tramontozzi, the only member of those three on Legal & Legislative, voted against the resolution, saying such acts should be used sparingly and questioning how much support there was for it.

"There is a group, it's a limited group, that are pushing an agenda," Tramontozzi said, while adding he supports recycling and has concerns with nips.

MacMaster, a non-voting member, also opposed the resolution.

There was a desire by many Councilors to prohibit nips from the special act passed last month, but they were advised by City Solicitor Robert Van Campen that the state could deny the motion if they did. The question of whether communities can ban nips is being examined in state courts, largely focused on Chelsea's effort to prohibit them.

This story has been edited to clarify Councilor Jamaleddine's support of the resolution.