Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Bottle deposits expand
 |
| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Linda Reyes returns bottles and cans Tuesday at Sherm’s Thunderbird Market. “I get around to returning them every three months or so, you know, whenever they pile up,” Reyes says. “I’ve heard some people have been having trouble returning the water bottles, though.” |
Water bottles now on recycling refund list
By JILL AHO
H&N Staff Writer
With the expansion of Oregon’s bottle bill, Sherm’s Thunderbird and other local grocery stores are gearing up to handle more recyclables, specifically empty plastic bottled water containers.
The expanded bottle bill — implemented Jan. 1 — puts deposits on plastic water bottles, encouraging consumers to recycle them by returning them to stores for refunds. The bill’s expansion also prohibits stores larger than 5,000 square feet from refusing containers of brands they do not sell. Smaller stores are still allowed to refuse those containers.
“We do look to increase the number of recyclables that are taken in considerably,” said Bob Ames, general manager of Sherm’s Thunderbird in Klamath Falls. “We would prefer it to be off-site. We do put a lot of labor and time into taking care of empties.”
Oregon’s 38-year-old bottle bill had remained largely unchanged until 2007 when the state Legislature included plastic water and flavored water containers in the deposit program.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karianne Fallow said a centralized accounting process would help retailers in the new deposit environment. Wal-Mart would like a chance to acclimate to the latest changes, she said.
“Any knee-jerk expansion … could disrupt this process because it’s not without its challenges,” Fallow said. “There’s a lot of talk about moving to other plastic containers. We really need to learn how to deal with this initial expansion before there’s any additional products to the list.”
Accounting
Association of Oregon Recyclers Resource Director Betty Patton said that for retailers such as Wal-Mart, the number of water distributors whose products are sold at the stores makes accounting for the deposits more difficult.
“(The bottle bill) deals with the distributors as the implementer to the deposit,” Patton said. “When you’re talking sodas and beer, there’s just a handful of distributors. When you add water and flavored water, that opens it up to a huge number of distributors.”
Fallow agreed.
“We’re a retailer, not a bottle sorter,” she said. “We need somebody to help us determine where bottles are coming from and where those refunds should be paid from.”
Task force
The 2007 legislation also created a bottle bill task force to study and make recommendations. One is to create a statewide system of redemption centers, which could potentially eliminate the need for retailers to accept cans and bottles for redemption.
The task force also recommends increasing the deposit refund value to 10 cents and including beverage containers that do not currently have deposits, such as sports drinks and juices.
Patton said Association of Oregon Recyclers is in favor of the task force’s recommendations.
“The beauty of the deposit is whatever we pay, we get back, and it encourages us to do the right thing,” she said. “Rather than toss that bottle into a convenient garbage can, we toss it in a convenient redemption center.”
Bottle bill do’s and don’ts
Deposits are required on many beverages. Newly added are water and flavored-water bottles of less than three liters. Not included are juice, tea, wine, liquor, dairy and some other non-carbonated drinks and beverages.
Stores of more than 5,000 square feet must accept for redemption all types of deposit containers for the same kind of beverage if they have sold that type of beverage within the last six months.
For example, if a store sells beer in bottles, it must take beer bottles for redemption, regardless of whether it sells the brand. Stores of less than 5,000 square feet can continue to refuse to redeem those containers.
Stores of 5,000 square feet or greater can refuse to accept more than 144 cans or bottles per person per day. The new law changes the amount smaller stores must accept to 50 cans or bottles per person per day.
If a reverse vending machine rejects a can or bottle, the store still must accept the return. Stores also cannot refuse crushed cans as long as the brand and Oregon 5 cent deposit markings are visible.
Oregon recycling facts
Since implementation of the bottle bill in 1971, Oregon’s return rates for beverage containers have often exceeded 80 percent.
In 2005, Oregonians purchased nearly 200 million bottles of water. Of those, an estimated 125 million ended up in the trash. About 250 million beverage containers, with deposits worth more than $12 million, are discarded in Oregon landfills each year.
Another 60 million beer and soft drink containers are recycled through curbside and other recycling programs without being redeemed. Unredeemed deposits are kept by distributors.
The expanded bottle bill — implemented Jan. 1 — puts deposits on plastic water bottles, encouraging consumers to recycle them by returning them to stores for refunds. The bill’s expansion also prohibits stores larger than 5,000 square feet from refusing containers of brands they do not sell. Smaller stores are still allowed to refuse those containers.
“We do look to increase the number of recyclables that are taken in considerably,” said Bob Ames, general manager of Sherm’s Thunderbird in Klamath Falls. “We would prefer it to be off-site. We do put a lot of labor and time into taking care of empties.”
Oregon’s 38-year-old bottle bill had remained largely unchanged until 2007 when the state Legislature included plastic water and flavored water containers in the deposit program.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karianne Fallow said a centralized accounting process would help retailers in the new deposit environment. Wal-Mart would like a chance to acclimate to the latest changes, she said.
“Any knee-jerk expansion … could disrupt this process because it’s not without its challenges,” Fallow said. “There’s a lot of talk about moving to other plastic containers. We really need to learn how to deal with this initial expansion before there’s any additional products to the list.”
Accounting
Association of Oregon Recyclers Resource Director Betty Patton said that for retailers such as Wal-Mart, the number of water distributors whose products are sold at the stores makes accounting for the deposits more difficult.
“(The bottle bill) deals with the distributors as the implementer to the deposit,” Patton said. “When you’re talking sodas and beer, there’s just a handful of distributors. When you add water and flavored water, that opens it up to a huge number of distributors.”
Fallow agreed.
“We’re a retailer, not a bottle sorter,” she said. “We need somebody to help us determine where bottles are coming from and where those refunds should be paid from.”
Task force
The 2007 legislation also created a bottle bill task force to study and make recommendations. One is to create a statewide system of redemption centers, which could potentially eliminate the need for retailers to accept cans and bottles for redemption.
The task force also recommends increasing the deposit refund value to 10 cents and including beverage containers that do not currently have deposits, such as sports drinks and juices.
Patton said Association of Oregon Recyclers is in favor of the task force’s recommendations.
“The beauty of the deposit is whatever we pay, we get back, and it encourages us to do the right thing,” she said. “Rather than toss that bottle into a convenient garbage can, we toss it in a convenient redemption center.”
Bottle bill do’s and don’ts
Deposits are required on many beverages. Newly added are water and flavored-water bottles of less than three liters. Not included are juice, tea, wine, liquor, dairy and some other non-carbonated drinks and beverages.
Stores of more than 5,000 square feet must accept for redemption all types of deposit containers for the same kind of beverage if they have sold that type of beverage within the last six months.
For example, if a store sells beer in bottles, it must take beer bottles for redemption, regardless of whether it sells the brand. Stores of less than 5,000 square feet can continue to refuse to redeem those containers.
Stores of 5,000 square feet or greater can refuse to accept more than 144 cans or bottles per person per day. The new law changes the amount smaller stores must accept to 50 cans or bottles per person per day.
If a reverse vending machine rejects a can or bottle, the store still must accept the return. Stores also cannot refuse crushed cans as long as the brand and Oregon 5 cent deposit markings are visible.
Oregon recycling facts
Since implementation of the bottle bill in 1971, Oregon’s return rates for beverage containers have often exceeded 80 percent.
In 2005, Oregonians purchased nearly 200 million bottles of water. Of those, an estimated 125 million ended up in the trash. About 250 million beverage containers, with deposits worth more than $12 million, are discarded in Oregon landfills each year.
Another 60 million beer and soft drink containers are recycled through curbside and other recycling programs without being redeemed. Unredeemed deposits are kept by distributors.
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
RSS