Those trips to recycle bottles in Oregon could get heavier and more lucrative in the New Year. Oregon's half-century-old bottle law is changing once again.
Many categories of beverages that were previously exempt from the dime-a-bottle deposit will join soda and beer and bottled water. That means cider, coffee, tea... pretty much anything you can drink from a bottle or can will require a 10-cent deposit. Wine, milk, infant formula, and meal-replacement drinks (think Ensure) are still exempt.
The deposit is refundable at any store that sells beverages, or at a bottle return center. The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative reports the installation of many new machines at its centers and at stores to handle the additional load. has details on regional redemption centers.
The offers a more complete list of products that now require a bottle deposit (and a list of products still exempt).
The change in the bottle law follows a boost in the deposit, from a nickel per container to a dime. That went up April 1, 2017, to encourage more people to turn in bottles and cans for cash.
