In a continued effort to modernize and simplify the nation’s longest-standing container deposit program, the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative has opened another fully automated and staffed redemption center.
The latest “BottleDrop” center is in Eugene, home to the University of Oregon and the second-largest population center in the state. With the new location in place, residents can trade in redeemable containers with the help of on-site staff at reverse vending machines, which offer a nickel return on each bottle. Eugene’s center is the eighth in Oregon to open since the idea was written into a 2011 update of the state’s bottle bill.
The operation was built and run by Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative – the private, for-profit co-op of beverage companies responsible for managing beverage companies’ bottle bill responsibilities in the Beaver State. The BottleDrop centers allow nearby grocers to opt out of in-store redemption, and they aim to increase collection rates by simplifying the process and offering immediate monetary compensation to consumers redeeming containers for deposit returns.
