Oregon Bottle Deposit System Hits 90 Percent Redemption Rate

“That’s a really interesting thing given how much change is happening in recycling markets right now,” said Joel Schoening with the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which runs the state’s bottle deposit system. Peter Spendelow, a natural resource specialist with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, said the bottle deposit program is helping the state keep its recycling rate up even as some recycling companies across the state are having to send some of their recyclables to landfills for lack of buyers. “We can see good increases in aluminum, glass and rigid plastic containers — three materials that are dominated by the bottle deposit system,” Spendelow said. Spendelow said the bottle deposit system benefits from cleaner mix of recyclable materials than curbside programs.

Source: www.opb.org