Refillable bottles in Oregon

Oregon will begin a "refillable glass bottle program in partnership with local craft brewers" in the next two years, according to Resource Recycling, which "could involve selling and refilling more than two million bottles per year." The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), which operates the state’s container deposit program, has a staff of 275 employees, an annual budget of $34 million, collects and processes all of the glass, aluminum and plastic beverage containers redeemed by consumers across the state, operates a network of bottle and can return facilities, a fleet of trucks, a deposit reconciliation program, and has relationships with brewers, distributors and retailers, and facilities to house washing equipment. Resource Recycling quoted the president of OBRC saying the "beverage industry is committed to not only upholding the legacy of the Oregon Bottle Bill but expanding stewardship efforts through new and innovative programs like this one." Oregon's bottle bill, the first and oldest in the nation, places a 5-cent deposit on beer, malt beverages, carbonated soft drinks and bottled water and will increase to 10 cents starting April 1, 2017.