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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 One dam at a time ... Bend hotels jammed with Phish in town ... Rogue Valley Sewer Services must pay Phoenix franchise fee ... One dam at a time ... Bend hotels jammed with Phish in town ... Rogue Valley Sewer Services must pay Phoenix franchise fee ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Following the nickel trail Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 22, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 22, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The state has mandated an area recycling center for returning cans, glass and plastic containers with a deposit. It is a good facility, but the revised procedure now requires a special trip instead of using the retail stores that sold the containers. What organization gets to keep the deposit from the customer? What organization is responsible for funding the container returns? Who pays the operating costs in the process? — G. Anderson, Medford First of all, Anderson, Oregon’s Bottle Bill doesn't mandate the new Bottle Drop Redemption Centers, but it was amended to allow for them. The redemption centers are located only in areas where there is a high concentration of retailers with a high volume of bottle returns, enough to warrant having the separate facility. As to who gets to keep the 5-cent deposit, the answer is nobody, unless the can is not redeemed, in which case  the money is used to offset the costs of the recycling process. The nickel is passed from agency to agency in what Cherilyn Bertges, spokeswoman and outreach manager for the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, calls the “nickel trail.” Pay attention, it’s complicated. First, retailers pay the bottle deposit when purchasing inventory from distributors, who forward the deposit to the OBRC. Then, customers reimburse the retailer when they buy the beverage and pay the deposit. The customer is reimbursed when he or she redeems the bottle and cashes in the refund voucher at the retailer or a redemption center. Later, OBRC reimburses the retailer for the redeemed bottles which it takes away to be processed at one of the five recycling plants in Oregon.  The cost of running the redemption center is split between distributors and the participating retailers. The centers don't necessarily save anyone money, but they do streamline and equalize the recycling process, Bertges said. “For instance, before, someone could buy soda from Safeway, WinCo, Albertsons and Fred Meyer but return all their cans to Fred Meyer, so Fred Meyer then had to deal with all the material, which wears out their machines faster and requires more customer service associates to assist people,” Bertges explained. But now, all participating retailers pitch in to cover the cost of the redemption center, and those selling a higher volume of beverages pay a little more than the rest. 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] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 22, 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