Bottle Bill Bonanza

For the first time since 1971, changes have been made to Oregon’s landmark “Bottle Bill”, the law that requires deposits on certain beverage containers. As of last week, water bottles have been added to the list of containers required to carry a five cent deposit and return value. This is going to mean four times as many water bottles will be returned for recycling rather than being thrown out and destined for the landfill.

In a recent survey conducted by OSPRIG, a state-wide college student group, over 80% of Oregonians favored adding water bottles to the list. This must be why I have received zero phone calls complaining about the new changes. Most folks have been disturbed and confused that we would be compelled to recycle one container of a particular material but not be incentivized to recycle a different container of the same makeup.

This new addition is a great step forward in helping citizens understand the importance of recycling as a way to improve our surroundings. Having this bottle bill reduces litter, saves landfill space, increases feedstock for regional industry, and reduces the amount of oil needed for new production of containers.

Even better than recycling your water bottles, is of course, to not buy them in the first place. Reuse a durable container and refill it with our great tap water for free! If you feel you still need bottled water, consider contracting with a local water distributor and have a 5 gallon dispenser installed in your house. This is way cheaper than buying pint sized bottles. My friend spent $4.50 at a theater recently on one bottle of water! You can also install a water filter to your tap and ultimately save money.

There has been one glitch in the system so far. Some containers being sold are from 2008 and do not have the OR5¢ marking on them. Some retailers are on top of it and not charging the deposit. Some however are confused and charging a deposit you cannot get back. So please be careful in these first few months and check your bottles and you receipt. If you have been charged a deposit, and the bottle is not marked with OR5¢, you will not get your money back. So work with the retailer at the point of purchase.

If you feel a retailer is not living up to their end of the bargain on either sales or return call the Oregon Liquor Control Commission or OLCC. They are the regulatory agency responsible for enforcing this law. The information and complaint hotline is 1-800-h2o-2009.

Remember, recycling is important, but not making the waste in the first place is our best solution to reducing our impact on our surroundings. Together we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Visit www.RecyclePower.org for more information.