ADVOCACY

SURE WE CAN advocates to improve the lives of canners by reducing the social stigma of canning and fighting for improvements to the bottle deposit system.

NY Bigger better bottle bill

Since the NY Returnable Container Act, aka the "Bottle Bill” was first enacted in 1982, the minimum 5-cent refundable deposit for eligible beverage containers, including still and sparkling water, soda, and beer, has never been increased. Additionally, the 3.5-cent handling fee that beverage retailers pay to redemption centers which keeps them open has not increased either, despite rising rent and wages. Sure We Can hopes to change this by supporting the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which would expand the types and number of beverage containers covered by the law, increase the deposit to 10 cents, and increase the handling fee to 6 cents.

International Alliance of Waste Pickers

Sure We Can is a member of the International Alliance of Waste Pickers, a global coalition that advocates for the social and economic inclusion of waste pickers around the world. They raise awareness of the living and working conditions of waste pickers and their contributions to sustainable development, and advocate for better laws and policies that impact waste pickers.

North American Alliance of Waste Pickers

Sure We Can is also an affiliate member of the North American Alliance of Wastepickers (NAWPA), a smaller alliance within the international alliance thats serves as a united voice for those who earn income through recycling in the United States and Canada.