Oregon Bottle Bill

The Oregon Bottle Bill of 1971 was key Oregon state legislation which required carbonated soft drink and beer containers to be returnable with a minimum refund value. The law reduced litter and increased container recycling. As a result of the law, items which used to make up around 40% of roadside litter now represent about 6%. But with return rates averaging 90%, its real benefit is in waste reduction and resource conservation, particularly for aluminum. By comparison, states without similar bills recycle on average 40% of their containers.

Beverage distributors retain all deposits not reclaimed by consumers.