OLCC: Sale of 5-cent deposit bottles, cans ends Sept. 30

(Update: OLCC corrects info; 5-cent deposit bottles, cans can still be redeemed after Sept. 30)

The sale of beverage containers marked with the five-cent refund value will not be allowed past Sept. 30, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission said Tuesday.

After that date, only eligible beverage containers bearing the “OR-10¢” refund value may be sold, with some exceptions, the agency said, correcting information released Monday that inaccurately indicated the five-cent bottles and cans can’t be redeemed after that date.

Beverage containers with a five-cent refund value include carbonated soft drinks, beer and water beverages in metal, glass or plastic containers, up to and including 3 fluid liters in volume. Although labeled for the five cent refund value, these beverage containers can continue to be redeemed at the current 10-cent amount past Sept. 30.

Beginning Oct. 1, these “OR-5¢” marked beverage containers can no longer be allowed to be sold in Oregon.

The refund value increased from five cents to 10 cents on April 1, 2017. Water, beer, and carbonated soft drink containers marked with “OR-5¢” could still be sold through Sept. 30, 2018, even though the refund value was increased to 10-cents.

On January 1, 2018, Oregon expanded the Bottle Bill to add beverages such as fruit juices, coffee/tea, sports drinks, hard cider – and many more – that are between 4 ounces and 1.5 ounces. These containers join carbonated soft drinks, beer and water beverages with a refund value of 10 cents. Consumers may be charged a 10 cent deposit on these beverage containers, but manufacturers have until January 1, 2019 to add “OR-10¢” to their containers, so some of these containers may appear on store shelves without a deposit stamp for now. A full list of all eligible containers can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/docs/bottle_bill/ExpandedBeverage_Included.pdf.

The OLCC sees as one of its limited responsibilities for redemption and redemption centers as insuring that consumers and businesses understand the system so it serves the goals of Oregonians well.

Some important facts to remember about Oregon’s Bottle Bill:

Keep it local: Only beverage containers purchased in Oregon are eligible to be redeemed in Oregon. Know the limits: Up to 350 containers per day can be redeemed at a BottleDrop redemption center, or up to 144 containers per day at large grocery stores that are not part of the convenience zone of a redemption center. Up to 50 containers can be redeemed at a convenience-type store per day that is not in a redemption center convenience zone and 24 for these stores that are located in a convenience zone. Look it up: To find a redemption center, visit http://www.bottledropcenters.com/Locations.

For more information about the Bottle Bill, visit https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/pages/bottle_bill.aspx.