Comments
I_like_boxes t1_j7x926l wrote
We moved from OR to WA. Not having to keep our cans separate from the general recycling was liberating. We'd honestly given up on separating them out even before we moved just because they were a pain to deal with and not worth the time. They were still recycled, just through regular recycling.
And with municipal recycling in place, bottle deposits don't have a very significant impact in general. I think the difference that bottle deposits create is just that people who could use every cent are probably picking up cans that would be ignored otherwise.
[deleted] t1_j7v4bu6 wrote
NOPE. Fuck Oregon. They can govern themselves and stay the hell out of everyone else's business. Make the cheap fucks pay sales tax in Washington. They're just mad some people buy stuff in Washington and take it back to oregon for deposit. So make the can different. Don't try to make Washington into Oregon. We can fuck our state up just fine without Oregon's help.
rosesandpiglets t1_j7v71yu wrote
And this isn’t even Oregon, it is Oregon’s business interests pushing an agenda…
SereneDreams03 t1_j7vradc wrote
If that agenda is reducing waste and increasing the volume and efficiency of recycling, then I don't see a problem with it.
ommanipadmehome t1_j7wl7l8 wrote
I'm a lot more likely to recycle if I don't have to do all that. They can keep the 50 cents if they take em from curbside regularly.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wn0x8 wrote
The problem is that so much of the material that gets thrown into recycling bins in Washington doesn't actually get recycled. It's either contaminated or simply can't be recycled.https://ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics/Reducing-recycling-waste/Strategic-policy-and-planning/Contamination-reduction Oregon's system has its own problems, but it at least does a better job of achieving its purpose of actually recycling materials.
ommanipadmehome t1_j7wo2vu wrote
No evidence it wouldn't be worse with the proposed law. Tons of people would pitch cans rather than deal with the returns. There would also be huge backlash adding further to grocery costs yo already high inflation as well free time. It would be a huge mistake.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wq55g wrote
>No evidence it wouldn't be worse with the proposed law. There is clear evidence Oregon does a better job than Washington at recycling https://productstewardship.net/news/recovery-and-recycling-rates-oregon-and-washington
https://www.columbian.com/news/2018/oct/07/comparing-washington-oregon-oversight-on-recycling/
>There would also be huge backlash adding further to grocery costs yo already high inflation as well free time.
Yeah, im sure there would be backlash, because people always seem to resist change. However, if you factor in the cost of processing fees and pickup costs, most people would actually be saving money with the deposit system.
It is $9.17 a month for recycling pickup in my area. With Oregons system, I'd pay an extra 10 cents per container, but I'd get that money back when I returned them. So I'd be saving $9.17 a month.
ommanipadmehome t1_j7wv9b3 wrote
Guess your gas is free and time has no value.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wz3yo wrote
They have dropoff locations at grocery stores, so you can just drop the cans off when you go grocery shopping. So, yes, it isn't costing me anymore in gas and minimal extra time dropping off the cans.
I_like_boxes t1_j7yclcx wrote
Do you not recycle anything else? We drink a decent amount of cans of soda per month, but most of our recycling is still paper and boxes. Having an extra step in recycling cans doesn't change the fact that we still have other recycling, so it wouldn't really be saving any money.
It's been years since I dealt with bottle returns and the amount you get back just never seemed worth the effort. I would much rather pay an extra $10/mo just to not have to ever go anywhere near a bottle return. When I was a kid, we'd just shove our cans in a bag until a random person would come knocking to ask if we had any cans.
ItDolph t1_j7wual8 wrote
This isn't really a "washington thing" though. Anywhere that has recycling will have this issue
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wx5wa wrote
It is not as much of an issue in Oregon though, that is my point.https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/2020/08/12/oregon-deposit-return-rate-increased-in-2019/amp/
newt_girl t1_j7ve9am wrote
>So make the can different.
This is how it works in Ohio/Michigan.
really_tall_horses t1_j7vucpo wrote
They already are different.
really_tall_horses t1_j7vu9sb wrote
They are different, the lids are all different! Wine cans get special lids, cocktail cans get special lids, and regular beer cans/soda cans get special lids. Tell your breweries/soda manufacturers to start putting no deposit lids on your cans! Call up Coca-Cola and tell them to stop sending bottles/cans with the deposit packaging to WA. Call up anheuser-Busch and tell them no more deposit lids for distribution in WA. I’m sure all the big manufacturers and distributors will get right on it.
westmaxia t1_j7v9yci wrote
I am a spectator from GA. Don't knock down your brotherly state; Oregon. I see it as a healthy sibling rivalry. At least Oregon is more sane than your eastern neighbor, Idaho. We, on the other hand, are still a crazy southern state, but every surrounding state, starting with Alabama and Florida, outfoxxes us on that department. I wish I was in the'cascadia' neighborhood.
[deleted] t1_j7vimuf wrote
We Washingtonians have our reasons for disliking Oregon. If I go to work in Oregon but still live in Washington, (I live on the border between us), they charge state income tax. When they come here to shop, we forgive them the state sales tax. Now they want to make us pay deposit? (insert choice cuss words here).
westmaxia t1_j7vln64 wrote
How does it work? Does an Oregon resident only provide an ID at the checkout register and get exempted from sales tax?
edc582 t1_j7vny4f wrote
[This is no longer true. ](http://Oregonians, Get Ready To Pay Sales Tax In Washington https://www.opb.org/pf/news/article/oregon-washington-sales-tax-new-law/)
Oregonians no longer get to forgo paying sales tax in Washington. They must save their receipts and claim them all at once. I could see businesses doing this but it seems unlikely that the average Oregonian is doing it.
It is really annoying that Oregon is trying to export their system of deposit up here. When I lived there a few years back, the bottle drop locations were constantly full and if you didn't throw yours all the way to the back, people could open the side door (this is a shipping container where the bags were thrown) and they'd either physically steal the bag of cans or steal it by way of peeling your redemption code off and replacing yours with theirs and having the redemption money put in their account. Now, I live just across the river and have homeless digging through the recycle to take bottles and cans and redeem them in Oregon. They also did this in Oregon. It seems to me like a way to keep them earning cash, though it's definitely an unintended consequence.
I loved living in Oregon but it was much cheaper (at the time) to cross the river and live in Washington. I still love to visit Oregon and have many friends there, but the state has a way of making the most onerous policies. I always like to say, when living there: why do it the right way when you can do it the Oregon way? Washington, in my opinion, is set up more like other states. Oregon likes to reinvent the wheel.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7vpbia wrote
How exactly would this fuck up our state? It actually sounds like a pretty beneficial program, and it pushes the cost of recycling back on distributors instead of the current system in Washington where we, the consumers, have to pay for the cost of recycling handling fees and pickups. https://obrc.com/oregons-bottle-bill/whats-special-about-the-oregon-model/
thaddeh t1_j7vymt2 wrote
Have you ever dealt with the can return in Oregon?
You have to go to a room that has these machines that are broken half the time. The room itself reeks of spilled sugary soda gone bad. It is infested with yellow jackets attracted to the sugar. You are limited to a certain number of containers per day. The employees that work in these places are miserable.
silicon1 t1_j7wrhsx wrote
Sounds like the Department of Licensing but with Angry Insects and additional stupid rules.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7w4f4x wrote
I've seen the machines, but no, I haven't done the bottle drop myself. It sounds like you can just get the blue bags and drop them off if you don't care about the deposit and don't want to deal with lines. And the limit of containers is 350 per day, which is far more than I use during my current recycling pickup time period of every 2 weeks. I could go months before collecting 350 containers.
As for the working and sanitary conditions, how is it different from a recycling center in Washington? Sounds like employee reviews are similar https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Bottledrop/reviews
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Waste-Connections/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Vancouver%2C+WA
I'm really not that familiar with the Bottledrop program in Oregon, so I appreciate the discussion. I'm definitely not sold on it, and it does seem to have some disadvantages and problems, but they also seem to do a better job in getting materials recycled. https://www.columbian.com/news/2018/oct/07/comparing-washington-oregon-oversight-on-recycling/
https://productstewardship.net/news/recovery-and-recycling-rates-oregon-and-washington
thaddeh t1_j7w5nki wrote
Ten cents a can, at 350 cans that's $35. Nice to be able to just throw that away I guess.
ommanipadmehome t1_j7wo8j5 wrote
You pay extra upfront. Must be nice to be able to afford a higher grocery bill.
thaddeh t1_j7wob9p wrote
That too.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7w7ic3 wrote
You were the one complaining about the can return, I was just suggesting an alternative option.
The current rate for recycling pickup in my area is $9.17 a month, so if I could just drop it off locally for free, I'd be saving money. Or even better, wait in line and get paid for my containers.
NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wc28k wrote
>Or even better, wait in line and get paid for my containers.
You aren't getting paid. You're returning a good and getting a DEPOSIT back. So that means every bottle and can suddenly becomes $.05-$.10 more to buy.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wghld wrote
That is a good point, but the math still works out that it would be cheaper to pay a 5-10 cent deposit, and return the containers than the current system where I pay 9 bucks a month for pickup. $9.17 would get me 92 to 183 containers per month if I didn't return them. That is far more than I currently use, and if I did return the containers I would be compensated for the deposit.
NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wj76c wrote
You've openly stated you've never returned cans/bottles, so you're not really qualified to opine on the subject matter as it pertains to the practicality of the experience.
Currently, my household gets its groceries delivered, so can return for me is a special, often dedicated trip. It is (roughly) a 15-mile round trip to do so, so $2.75 in gas.
We do grocery delivery now partly due to can/bottle return. Do you know how quickly you want the whole system burned to the ground when you load up the cans when you go to pick up groceries to find out the kiosk is broken/closed? Now it's an hour long, 45 mile ordeal, thst costs $6.00 in gas because you've go to go to another store.
How about the cart? You want to do your grocery shopping in a cart someone (me) just used to haul 6 bags of cans/bottles in?
Then, there is the system itself. Every store is required to take any can back (think QFC had to take Safeway Select cans back, even though they don't sell them). Only QFC doesn't regularly download updated lists from the state or willfully excludes other brands' cans. They will still technically take them, but you have to go to the service desk and wait in line and do that whole song and dance. No thank you.
Safety.
I'm a 250lb bearded dude that knows the rules for avoiding getting into shit. I was nearly stabbed returning cans once by someone, unfortunately, having a mental crisis. It takes a tremendous amount of privlage to avoid this for many people.
Those are just a few of the madningly frustrating aspects. Curbside pickup is an exceptional value for dollar at $9.17/month. Especially since you'll likely still be paying most of that for paper/plastic/no-deposit curbside pick up.
Edit to add last scentence.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wmei1 wrote
>You've openly stated you've never returned cans/bottles, so you're not really qualified to opine on the subject matter as it pertains to the practicality of the experience.
I wasn't offering my opinion on the practicality of the experience. That is why I specifically said I was trying to learn more about the system. It's not an entirely foreign concept to me. I've recycled in other areas, just not specifically in Oregon. And as I stated before, I appreciate the insight into their system, no need for the condescension.
>Curbside pickup is an exceptional value for dollar at $9.17/month.
I still don't see how this is preferable, I live in an urban area, not rural like yourself, and I don't get groceries delivered so I could just drop off my containers when I went to the store right? And if I didn't care about getting the deposit back, I'd still be spending less than the $9.17 a month I currently pay, and wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of the machines.
NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wqal2 wrote
>I live in an urban area, not rural like yourself
I live in Detroit.
>I could just drop off my containers when I went to the store, right?
More than once, I've gone to the store, and the kiosk isn't open. Now you need groceries and you've got a car full of trash.
I've addressed all of your impressions, and they are just not the what winds up playing out. Seriously, take the L and trust a primary source.
>I'd still be spending less than the $9.17 a month.
This is a red herring. What about the recycle bin for paper and such? I have that here and pay for it, but I still have to hassle with can deposits. I could not return them and forgo my deposit because of the hassle, which is completely incongruent with the intent that it will increase recycling.
Seriously, take the L.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7ws34z wrote
>I live in Detroit.
Then why are you commenting about the Oregon bottle dropoff? That is misleading as fuck. You are talking about a completely different system there.
>More than once, I've gone to the store, and the kiosk isn't open. Now you need groceries and you've got a car full of trash.
In Oregon, you can just drop it off in a blue bag if you dont want to wait for a kiosk https://bottledrop.com/locations/?question=7977&ans=7980&text=Gresham&latLng_lng=-122.4356657&latLng_lat=45.5044715
>Seriously, take the L and trust a primary source.
How are you a primary source if you don't even live in Oregon?
> have that here and pay for it
In many parts of Oregon, they don't, though. Plus, they have less material that needs to be picked up.
NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wuv4x wrote
>Then why are you commenting about the Oregon bottle dropoff?
Because this is a Washington sub, and I lived there for near to 4 decades and still have an interest in the area (in real property and in practicality as I'm there regularly) Furthermore, I've returned cans in Oregon, and the system is functionally the same as what I have to deal with hith in Michigan. This is also a discussion of a post about a bill being lobbied for in Washington, so not even spefic to Oregon.
>That is misleading as fuck. You are talking about a completely different system there.
That's your impression, so I'm not going to shit on it. But, they are the exact same equipment (I have spent a ton of time in the Columbia River Gorge area and have dealt with can return in rural areas and in Portland.
That is the 2nd time you have made assumptions , and it bit you. Maybe stop doing that?
>In many parts of Oregon, they don't, though.
So, no curbside recycle pickup at all? Paper is just tossed? Non-depoait glass/aluminum/plastic too? Sounds like 1981, I'd advise passing on that regression.
>Plus, they have less material that needs to be picked up.
Less isn't zero.
You never addressed a ton of the problems I presented (closed kiosks with a car full of cans/bottles, safety, time and money costs, dirty carts), all of which exist regardless of geography. You came into this saying you didn't know, amd were just asking questions (though it would appear you live in the Vancouver, WA area based on post history, so it stands to reason you're more experienced than you're letting on).
Just be transparent. You are a cheap ass who wants their $9.17 a month back, damn the consequences.
Anyway, good chat. It was nice to engage in some rhetoric.
I'm out.
SereneDreams03 t1_j7wyf14 wrote
>That is the 2nd time you have made assumptions , and it bit you. Maybe stop doing that?
Listen, I tried to be polite and learn more about the Oregon system in particular because that is what this article is proposing to expand to Washington. I've recycled in many different areas, but i was curious about the particulars of their systme. But it seems like I know more about that system than you, and since you've been condescending as fuck the whole time, and since you don't even live in Washington anymore, you can fuck off.
72FJ46WC t1_j7vojsq wrote
Born, raised, lived in Oregon most of my life. Hate the refund system. I have better things to do then return cans. Not a profit either, to get your money back. Curbside is the way to go. No one wants to return bottles and cans.
PieNearby7545 t1_j7vvabj wrote
As someone who grew up in NY I second this. As a kid it was a chore but my parents let us keep the deposit money. As an adult it just sounds like a waste of time
darkeststar t1_j7w5t2n wrote
The problem is largely just that the refund you get back is not big enough for the amount of effort you have to put in, and that's true right now. Most aluminum recyclers here in Washington are paying about 30-45 cents a pound for scrap aluminum. I saved soda, beer and energy drink cans for nearly two straight years in bags in a storage space in my apartment, then loaded the bags up in my car and took them to a recycler only to get $4.50 for my two years of work.
It didn't hurt me to do it, and I like that I directly contributed to recycling that metal instead of it going to a landfill, but the amount of effort I put in for 15 pounds of cans to get less than $5 means it's not really worth the time or money to be doing that myself.
Sadspacekitty t1_j7vwbb1 wrote
I'm not sure how the systems work in those states, but it seemed to work great when I lived in Denmark and no one had an issue with it, maybe it just needs some adjustment to be more like their system?
72FJ46WC t1_j7w8u4j wrote
Curbside, we recycle without having to pay extra for the can and then get the money back when we return it. I recycle as much as ever.
Rocketgirl8097 t1_j7wvsmq wrote
We have curbside in Kennewick. I just don't often use it because the wind blows the cans down the street. So I save them in the house and periodically drop them off at the bins over in Richland.
[deleted] t1_j7w3kwp wrote
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NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wb3dr wrote
Moved from WA to MI, and the bottle/can deposit is all kinds of bullshit wrapped into one inconvenient outdated model.
From machine infrastructure at grocers (always a couple broken, and the grocer has to dedicate square footage to something that they can't profit off of), the emissions and cost (time and fuel) from consumers, and the filth (can return kiosks are gross no matter what).
Oregon can get bent (on this and the gas pumping issue).
Zezzug t1_j7xtrxy wrote
Yea I did the opposite move, MI to WA and in both I just throw them in the recycle anyway. The deposit was such a pain to actually use.
Bullarja t1_j7vr1fg wrote
In Vancouver we already have a bad problem with homeless people digging through people’s recycling, stealing bottles and cans to take to Oregon, I wonder if this would make the problem better or worse.
Ravenparadoxx OP t1_j7x9hcv wrote
Anyways, "the co-op" is the sole recipient of all unclaimed deposit state wide. Bottles from Washington are not legal to take to BottleDrop in Oregon, but there's no technical measures in place preventing so. So, OBRC (the co-op) loses 10 cents for every Washington can redeemed in Oregon. The only thing preventing this from happening right now is staff intervention at redemption center where they may ask people to see their Oregon ID or receipt from people who arrive in Washington plated vehicles. So, the co-op is wanting to bottle bill Washington so their industry members can avoid having to code containers differently and to maximize opportunity on profiting on unclaimed deposit on Washington side if it's implemented.
From the article:
>The co-op is also involved in discussion around a bottle redemption program in neighboring Washington state, something Bailey said is the next big step forward for the region and a massive opportunity.
>
>“If Washington and Oregon were to have aligned systems, imagine being able to live in Vancouver, shop in Oregon, return your containers in Vancouver,” he said. “Have it be able to cross state lines. Imagine the sort of critical mass that you would get, of PET and aluminum and glass, and the cool things you could do with that – the next steps, the flaking, the pelletizing.”
Kickstand8604 t1_j7wvmxq wrote
No thanks, I dont want someone from Oregon trying to push oregon ideas on Washington. Theres a reason why I dont live in oregon
StickTimely4454 t1_j7w9x09 wrote
Otegon is getting tired of paying deposits on Washington's cans and bottles.
They need to fix this problem without fking over Washingtonians, and it's a fairly safe bet that this shit won't fly.
verablue t1_j7z8xhs wrote
Somehow Oregon stores can charge deposit for a zillion cans in one purchase yet they will also limit how many you can return at once.
[deleted] t1_j7usr9x wrote
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Rocketgirl8097 t1_j7wvgk9 wrote
If it was the way it used to be it would be great... we took our glass pop bottles back to the grocery store where we bought them. The grocery checker gave us the cash back.
AlienMutantRobotDog t1_j7y5xfp wrote
Fuck that noise. Next they will push that we can’t pump our own gas
Remote-Mechanic8640 t1_j7yb3uh wrote
I lived in OR for 1 year and the recycling is bullshit. You have to buy special bags and get a card and collect bags full of cans that you then have to drive to a dirty bin in front of a store. The bins are always full and you have to walk your ridiculous bags back to the car and store them until hopefully someone empties the bin. It is the worst most inconvenient system I have ever experienced.
janewp t1_j7ydbe3 wrote
In Astoria I wait in line for my turn only to have the machine break down or spit out the bottle because it couldn't be read. And after you finally get the task done you take the ticket into the store to get your $2.40 back. Honestly, it's easier to just leave the cans in the parking lot for a kid to find and make the $$.
Would Washington retailers raise prices on pop, etc. because they will have to devote space to store all the cans and bottles and maintain the machines?
giddygoat2769 t1_j86nrmx wrote
Just another tax. Pay more, get nothing for it.
boing757 t1_j7uzm0i wrote
Just another way for corporations to steal your money.
myfugi t1_j7vn9mu wrote
Heck yeah! Do you know how much more recycling would happen? How much less litter there would be? I’m on board. Bottle bills are great.
houseman1131 t1_j7vqnld wrote
It would be nice if recycling centers didn't send all the plastic to a landfill anyway. Just seems like a way to make money without changing anything.
NoMoOmentumMan t1_j7wlaxi wrote
Michigan has the highest deposit rates in the county. SE Michigan is also covered in litter. Those two things have zero correlation.
Shisty t1_j7wnek1 wrote
My city doesnt offer any sort of recycling, will this bill change things? Yes, my cost of good will increase while nothing else changes.
Stop taxing shit for private companies to profit from.
Freestateofjepp t1_j7wjsxx wrote
Hi guys, current Oregonian here. You don’t want this.
Pay extra for cans. Get it back when you recycle. Seems easy but we have to store our cans separate inside so our cans don’t get pillaged before we can take them.
Also the bottle drop location system is terrible - the few bottle drops by us “limit” the amount we can return per quarter which is annoying. The other drop locations can be overrun and feel pretty unsafe.
Fairly confident I read that this industry makes money charging us extra up front and then redeeming the cans people don’t bother to redeem themselves. Oregon can be a lot of great things and a lot of terrible things. This one falls into the latter.