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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Three elections that matter right now ... The Concord launches ... Mail Tribune 100: Oct. 20, 1915 ... Our View: Three elections that matter right now ... The Concord launches ... Mail Tribune 100: Oct. 20, 1915 ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: The fate of unredeemed bottle deposits Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Who or what organization was behind us having a central recycling center? Is there a mileage consideration given the extra gas required by people throughout the valley? What happens to the deposit given when items are purchased? — A.R., Central Point Apologies in advance for rearranging the order of your questions, A.R. Thankfully your answers are all present and accounted for, so grab a refundable beverage container from the fridge and read on. To address your first question, the origin of those BottleDrop centers located throughout the state is the same as the original bottle bill itself — the Oregon Legislature. In 2011, legislature approved with bipartisan support an update to the 1971 Beverage Container Act. In addition allowing the expansion of redeemable containers to teas and sports drinks, and opening up the possibility of raising deposits to 10 cents if the recycling rate drops below 80 percent, the bill also supported construction of redemption centers in Oregon's major population areas. Stores located within an approximate 3-mile radius of the center can pay into the BottleDrop program, organized and staffed by the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative. Because BottleDrop moves the messy business of recycling off site so stores can focus on selling and serving food, you've probably noticed most stores have opted in. In a March Since You Asked, we addressed part of this question, and noted that stores located between 2 and 3½ miles away from the distribution center must accept a minimum of 24 cans, although most aren't going much above that minimum. To spare you a sequence diagram, at its simplest the redemption system works as follows: stores pay the deposit to the distributor, the customer then pays the deposit to the retailer, Oregon retailers 5,000 square feet or larger pay the customer's refund and the retailer distributor refunds the retailer. When a deposit goes unredeemed, such as when a young Jedi is collecting all the Star Wars Pepsi cans, you can rest assured knowing one person's trash isn't the state's treasure. According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the distributor, importer or manufacturer who originated the deposit gets to keep it. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501