|
The Bottle Bill & Redemption Centers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Article Content  |
| About the Bottle Bill |
|
History
Oregon’s Bottle Bill was introduced in 1971 as the very first bottle bill in the U.S. The bill was created to address a growing litter problem along Oregon beaches, highways and other public areas. Over the years, the bottle bill has become known as Oregon’s most successful recycling program and has prompted several other green initiatives. Today, ten other states operate similar programs.
How it works
Oregon retail stores pay the beverage distributor a 5-cent deposit for each container of bottled water (as of 1/1/09), beer and soft drinks they purchase.
Consumers then pay the 5-cent container deposit to the retailer when they make a purchase. When they’re finished, the consumer can return the containers to retail stores in Oregon to redeem their 5-cents.
Distributors pay retail stores the 5-cent redemption for each container returned to the distributor for recycling. Deposits on containers not returned for refund (unredeemed deposits) are kept by the distributors.
Beverage distributors or their contractors who collect containers from stores keep the income from the sale of recyclable material.
Bottle Bill Containers
The containers included in Oregon’s Bottle Bill are water/flavored water (as of 1/1/09), beer/malt beverages, soda water/mineral water, and carbonated soft drinks. All redeemable containers are labeled with the OR 5¢ refund value on the label.
Container sizes are up to and including 3 fluid liters.
OLCC’s role
The state legislature has given the OLCC authority to administer and enforce the bottle bill. The OLCC is dedicated to the success of the bottle bill by working with distributors, retailers and consumers to make sure they are complying with state laws.
Other state agencies also play a vital role. The Department of Agriculture has the authority to enforce the cleanliness of retailer recycling areas. The Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for collecting data associated with solid waste and container return rates. http://www.deq.state.or.us/lq/sw/bottlebill .
Although these state agencies oversee the bottle bill, the government does not receive any income, taxes or fees for services associated with this law.
Benefits of the Bottle Bill
Reduced Litter: In 1971, litter control was a primary reason for initiating the bottle bill. Since then, the percentage of beverage containers among roadside litter has dropped from 40 percent to 6 percent.
Sustainability: The recycled containers are used to make hundreds of products including fleece jackets, carpeting, baseball bats, license plates, and insulation as well as new beverage containers.
Conservation: Recycling a ton of plastic bottles saves approximately 3.8 barrels of oil. Recycling one pound of PET (polyethylene terphthalate) plastic bottles saves approximately 12,000 BTUs of energy. In addition, using recycled materials uses 2/3 less energy than using raw (virgin) materials.
|
|
|
| Redemption Center Information |
|
Redemption Center Locations
14214 Fir Street, Suite A & B, Oregon City
4815 Commercial St. SE., Salem
23345 NE Halsey St., Wood Village
Redemption Center Application Form
To request approval as a Beverage Container Redemption Center, please complete the following application form:
Redemption Center Application
Mail the completed form and attachments to: OLCC, 9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Portland, OR 97222.
Applications Received & Public Notices
Redemption Center Application for location @ 12403 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR
Public Notice for Propsed Redemption Center @ 12403 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR
Pilot Project
House Bill 3145 passed by the 2011 legislature approved establishment of a Pilot Project Redemption Center in a city with a population of less that 300,000, operated by a distributor cooperative serving a majority of dealers in Oregon. (ORS 459A.737) OLCC Commissioners approved an application for a pilot project redemption center at the December 1, 2011 meeting.
The new pilot project redemption center is located at 4815 Commercial St SE., Salem. The redemption center will provide redemption services for bottles, cans and other containers that are subject to an Oregon bottle deposit. Redemption services include accepting returnable cans and bottles and other containers and paying the bottle return fee. This center will accept containers that are subject to the Oregon 5-cent deposit, even if the containers were purchased at other Oregon stores.
The pilot project redemption center establishes two convenience zones around the redemption center. The first zone is 1.5 mile radius around the center, the second is 1.5 to 3 miles around the center. Participating stores within the first zone are no longer required to accept bottles and cans for redemption. The participating stores in the second zone are required to accept for redemption up to 24 bottles and cans daily per person. The following stores are participating in the pilot project:
ZONE 1
Fred Meyer #355, 3450 Commercial St. SE, Salem
Roth’s #11, 4555 Liberty St., Salem
Safeway #1935, 5660 Commercial St. SE, Salem
WalMart #1920, 5250 Commercial St., Salem
Winco Foods #20, 4575 Commercial St., Salem
ZONE 2
Costco #68, 1010 Hawthorne Ave. SE, Salem
Roth’s #8, 3045 S. Commerical St., Salem
Nonparticipating stores less than 5000 square feet within either zone will be required to accept for redemption up to 24 bottle and cans daily per person. Nonparticipating stores over 5000 square feet within either zone are now required to accept up to 300 bottles and cans daily per person and offer services similar to the pilot project redemption center. The stores identified as within the zones and over 5000 square feet are: Trader Joe's at 4450 Commercial St SE, Salem
Rite Aid #5362 4500 Commercial St SE, Salem
Walgreens 4380 Commercial St SE, Salem
Walgreens 4760 Commercial St SE,
SalemLife Source Natural Foods 2649 Commercial St SE, Salem
Walmart 1940 Turner Rd SE, Salem
Kmart 2470 Mission St SE, Salem
For more information on Redemption Centers & the Pilot Project
Kelly Routt
Phone: 503-872-5007
Toll free: 800-452-6522, ext. 5007
kelly.routt@state.or.us
|
|
|
| Future Updates to the Bottle Bill |
|
House Bill 3145 amends the Bottle Bill in 2011 add all beverages except wine, liquor, dairy or milk substitutes to the Bottle Bill as of Jan. 1, 2018 at the latest.
Beer, soft drinks and water will continue to be covered in containers that are 3 liters or less in size, but the new beverages will be covered only if they are in bottles or cans from 4 ounces to 1.5 liters in size. Metal cans that require a can opener will also not be included.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|