Oregon considers changes to Bottle Bill

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) reportedly is ready to recommend that the state raise its deposit-and-return fee on bottles and cans from 5 cents to 10 cents. OLCC statistics reportedly indicate the 5-cent fee is diminishing as an incentive for consumers to return their bottles and cans.

A report in the Spokane, Washington-based Spokesman-Review says the OLCC data show that “just over 68 percent of bottles were redeemed in 2014, down nearly three points from the year before.”

According to the news article, a 2011 Oregon law includes language indicating that if the redemption rate does not stay above 80 percent for two consecutive years, the deposit and return fee can be increased.

A page on the OLCC website providing an overview of the state’s bottle bill says it was created in 1971 and has subsequently remained set at 5 cents per container.

The Spokesman-Review article also states that in 2018 the bottle bill will be expanded to include noncarbonated beverages, such as iced tea drinks.