Oregon Bottle Bill Records

The groundbreaking Oregon Bottle Bill in 1971 required a five-cent refund for bottles and cans.

1969 HB 1157 Introduction

"The original intent of the bottle bill was to reduce Oregon’s growing litter problem and to conserve resources. The original language included carbonated and malt beverages only because these were the most common containers disposed of along Oregon highways.

Three legislators introduced a short bill in 1969 that would have simply banned the sale of beer in non-returnable containers. This bill died in the House on a 27-33 vote, largely due to a promise by the beverage industry to find suitable solutions to the litter problem for the 1971 Legislature to consider."

1971 HB 1036 Introduction

"In Oregon, an interim legislative committee worked on issues of litter and throwaway containers. In all, the committee held 16 hearings and heard testimony from 143 witnesses. The full committee recommended a package of nine legislative acts to be considered by the 1971 Legislature. Among these was HB 1036 - the Bottle Bill. From the start of the 1971 legislative session, HB 1036 was one of the most intensely lobbied bills in the history of the Oregon Legislature. In spite of intense lobbying by the container and beverage industries, HB 1036 passed the House by 54-6 and the Senate by 22-8, and was signed into law by Governor McCall on July 2, 1971." (Quotes from Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.)