MIDDLETOWN – Mayor Marlinda Duncanson has urged the Middletown Common Council to adopt a measure in support of the proposed state better bottle bill that would collect deposits on bottles containing non-carbonated beverages.

Duncanson noted Governor David Paterson is backing the bill that has been kicked around for years on the state level.

Non-carbonated beverages make up about 25 percent of all beverage sales and add up to more than half of the beverage container litter in New York, she said. The bill would also redirect uncollected deposits to the state to support environmental and agricultural projects from the Environmental Protection Fund.

The Ulster County Legislature is also considering support for the bill that is backed by environmental organizations including Scenic Hudson.