New proposal would add deposit to water bottles

By ERIC FREEDMAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — There’s another move underway in the Legislature to expand Michigan’s 40-year-old beverage deposit law to include water and juice containers. But prospects for passage this year appear unlikely. The latest effort would add the current 10-cent deposit requirement on metal, glass and plastic carbonated beverage containers to include noncarbonated drinks, with exceptions for milk, other dairy products, unflavored soymilk and unflavored rice milk. The major additions would be water, juice, wine and liquor containers. The law that voters approved in 1976 covers containers of one gallon or less of “soft drinks, soda water, carbonated natural or mineral water or other nonalcoholic carbonated drink; beer, ale or other malt drinks of whatever alcoholic content or a mixed wine drink or a mixed spirit drink.” It took effect in 1978.

New apple storage containers extend life of apples

By JASON KRAFT
Capital News Service
LANSING – A new technique would allow Michigan apples to be stored longer without draining their freshness. JMT US, a French company with Okemos offices, recently finished a six-month study of expanding the freshness of stored apples at Michigan State University. The purpose of the study was to compare the apple quality in controlled atmosphere modules with regular cold room storage, according to a recent Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) report. “It’s making a large box that can hold up to 800 pounds of apples into a modified atmosphere container, which limits the gas movement inside through membranes on the lid of the box,” said Randy Beaudry, a MSU horticulture professor. The low oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide levels in these containers keep the apples from spoiling.