Bottle and can deposits: Is there one where you live?
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
Eugene, Oregon
August 14, 2016 10:35am CST
Way back in 1971, Oregon became the first state in the US to pass a bottle deposit bill. It was a few cents at first, then became five cents. In April, 2017, deposits on cans and bottles in Oregon will double to ten cents each. That six pack of whatever carbonated beverage will cost an extra sixty cents, but you can get it back.
The reason the legislature increased the deposit is that the bottle/can return dropped to less than 70% over the last two years. A person I work with buys Coca Cola in liter bottles and tosses them into recycling instead of claiming her nickel.
The deposit affects beer, malt, carbonated soft drinks, and bottled water. By 2018, it will cover all beverages except wine, liquor, milk and milk products. I think it should include wine and liquor.
Many young and not so young people here eke out a living gathering discarded bottles and cans. They are about to double their income.
Is there a bottle/can deposit where you live? Does it reduce littler like it did in our state? One more thing, are nickels the new pennies?
15 people like this
13 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
15 Aug 16
no sir, there's no such monkey 'round here, though there used to be years back if'n i recall correctly. i agree that all beverages ought to be included. 's fer yer co-worker, 't least they put't 'nto the recycle bin, many jest toss 'em'n the trash :(
'tis sad that some folks've gotta resort to such.
they've been talkin' 'f gettin' rid 'f pennies fer years now. i remember one year there 'twas e'en a shortage 'f such. didn't know 'bout 't, nor that the bank'd give ya twice their face value 'til i took a bunch'n that'd accumulated. i made out like a bandit, lol.
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
15 Aug 16
@JamesHxstatic if'n i'd known 'f such i'd hauled 'em all to town, lol. i'd 'bout $400 worth 'f 'em rolled, put'n boxes under my bed :D
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
I recall that shortage. Glad that you profited from it.
2 people like this
@jstory07 (134458)
• Roseburg, Oregon
15 Aug 16
When I lived in Colorado I only got so much a pound for recycling but I like doing it. Now I get more for saving the cans and bottles since I live in Oregon. Of course there is the deposit that you have to pay. I still collect bottles and cans when I see them.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (134458)
• Roseburg, Oregon
15 Aug 16
@JamesHxstatic When we were staying at relatives they would put them in a bag and than put them out with their trash so I started taking them to get the deposit back. Why would you throw something away that you had to pay a deposit on. Makes no sense to me.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
I am surprised how many are discarded in Oregon. We always return the ones we use.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
17 Aug 16
@jstory07 That is my thought too.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
15 Aug 16
@JamesHxstatic No, we don't have much of a litter problem where I live.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
@jaboUK I am glad to hear that, Janet.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
I guess that is better than nothing. Is litter very bad in your area?
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
14 Aug 16
We don't have a deposit here in Colorado, but I had to get used to it during the four months I spent out in Modesto. I gave my bottles and cans to a lady who fed the homeless on the weekends.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
I am surprised that Colorado does not have a deposit.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
15 Aug 16
@JamesHxstatic - We are behind the times. I think they are thinking of trying to get one, though.
1 person likes this
@rina110383 (24495)
•
15 Aug 16
We sell them to the junk shop. They buy bottles, plastic containers, cans, newspapers and white papers. I get to earn from my trash.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
15 Jun 18
We do not have a deposit here in Illinois, and did not have one in Wisconsin either. The fact that people pay them and few people get them back always amazes me where deposits are in place. But like you said, it leaves room for people like us to gather them up and cash in some free money.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Jun 18
There are people here who do nothing but collect them for a living of sorts.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
20 Jun 18
@JamesHxstatic It is not how much you collect. It is what you do with what you collect. All of my can monies go into the markets. But I do the same thing with my online earnings like I did with WebAnswers, HubPages, Bubblews, or whatever else. The money I made pays me even when the payments stop.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
14 Aug 16
once in a while when i get a softdrink craving, i'll buy a small cold bottle of coke or mountain dew from the small neighborhood store and drink it at home. (i still prefer glass bottle over can or plastic.) when i return the bottle the next day, they will give me 2 pesos (4 cents)
yes, people also eke out a living here collecting soda cans and plastic bottles and containers.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
I am glad that there is some deposit.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Aug 16
That is sad that some states are so anti progress.
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
14 Aug 16
When my kids were young, they spent a lot of time collecting nickel cans in New York State. We went to the state park near us and collected the cans people left everywhere. We took them to the redemption center and then the kids got fast food. They knew exactly how many cans it would take to eat at their favorite place.
1 person likes this
@Vivenda (583)
• Portsmouth, England
14 Aug 16
We have bottle banks, and we're strongly encouraged (it's mandatory in some areas) to sort out recyclable materials from actual rubbish when we put out our garbage. In some areas they have to sort out glass, plastics, aluminium cans, etc into the relevant bins.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (18923)
• United States
16 Aug 16
No we don't have one. It's neat though.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
14 Aug 16
No there is nothing like that in the UK as far as I know.
1 person likes this
