Oregon’s Bottle Law Will Return 2 Billion Bottles to Shops by 2022

In 2022, Oregonians recycled over two billion beverage containers for the first time since the program’s inception, earning over $205 million for individuals and community groups. The Oregon Beverage and Recycling Cooperative, the organization in charge of the Bottle Bill program, just provided the data for 2022.

OBRC CEO and President Jules Bailey said that the program had achieved a new benchmark by having the most remarkable redemption rate in the country. According to Bailey, the national average redemption rate is 35%.

“We had last year, the highest redemption rate in the nation, and this year we’ve even gone up from that redemption rate,” he said. “We went from 80.6% up to 88.5%.”

To combat the increasing pollution on Oregon’s beaches, roads, and other public spaces, the state passed the Bottle Bill in 1971, the first recycling program. It is financed by charging retailers for each bottle and container size sold.

Oregon's Bottle Law Will Return 2 Billion Bottles to Shops by 2022

When customers purchase a redeemable container, they’ll be charged 10 cents, but they’ll receive that back when they bring the empty container back to redemption centers or participating businesses. Customers may establish BottleDrop accounts, deposit monies into their accounts, or delay redemptions to charities, schools, and environmental organizations.

About 5,000 Oregon charities collected $5.1 million in 2022 thanks to the state’s bottle and can redemption program. The Oregon 529 Plan is an excellent example of this. More than three years after its inception, the Bottle Bill initiative has revealed that one million dollars have been amassed for college funding.

“It’s hard to imagine a million bucks adding up a dime at a time, but it did,” Bailey said. The ease of use, financial incentives, and “the generosity and environmental ethic of Oregonians,” he noted, are all factors in the program’s overwhelming success.

“Oregon offers a lot of incentive to return bottles and cans,” he said. “We offer many different ways to get your money back.” According to Bailey, the majority of recycling is done inside the state and is then re-invested.

“It’s very closed loop, and that’s one of the benefits of having a deposit return system,” he said. “It stays mostly here in Oregon or at least in the United States and gets turned right back into the bottles and cans that people are using.”

The OBRC research claims that through recycling containers in 2022, more than 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide were avoided (carbon dioxide is a fossil fuel that contributes to climate change). A greenhouse gas calculation maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that this is the same as taking more than 11,000 automobiles off the road.

Water-flavored, juice and tea, and other noncarbonated beverage containers have been added to the program since its beginning. In 2025, the wine will be available in cans, according to Bailey.

The most recent information on happenings at Oregon State is as follows:

“What’s really next for the deposit system and for BottleDrop is continuing to open more locations, continuing to expand access, and then also continuing to make it easier for customers and more transparent,” he said.

According to Bailey, BottleDrop redemption facilities were operational during the epidemic, but other retailers stopped participating in the program. He said it was why redemption rates decreased to the low 80s.

There are now 94 drop-off points spread out over the state. According to Bailey, the Dalles, Prineville, and Ashland will be added to the program’s service area by June.

Sophia
Sophia

Sophia Willmer is a skilled content editor who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role at Focushillsboro.com. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for crafting compelling content, Sophia ensures that every piece of content on the site is polished, accurate, and engaging.Sophia's love for writing and editing began at a young age, and she pursued a degree in journalism and communications to further her knowledge and skills. She has worked in a variety of roles in the media industry, from writing and editing for magazines to producing digital content for websites.

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