How business thwarts the intent of a law...
Oregonians got sick and tired of motorists (Californians
) throwing
beer cans and bottles out onto the roadsides, into the rivers, and elsewhere.
So in 1971, Oregon's first "bottle bill" was passed that required a deposit on aluminum and glass containers.
The law was credited with reducing litter and increasing container recycling,
with returns amounting to about 90% of those sold.
Stores selling beer and soda were required to collect a deposit
on each container (5 and 2 cents for cans and bottles, respectively).
They were also required to accept the returns of these containers
and refund the full amount of the deposits.
Stores soon lobbied for amendments to restrict refunds to only those
brands and sizes that the store actually sold.
For the unique brands, it meant customers had to return to the same store for refunds.
The stores were allowed to keep all deposits on those that were not returned
Next came the technical development of machines that would receive the glass containers,
keep a running tally of which bottles were good in that store for refunds and
reject those that were not eligible, then break the bottles into small bits in a bin.
A printed receipt allowed the customer to get their $ refund from the store.
Now, the beverage industry has lobbied the legislature for another amendment
to allow stores to
close their bottle-return operations,
and instead require customers to deliver the bottles to a "central location"
for their returns and deposits.
These centers are more than a mile from some of the affected stores
How long will it be before the roadsides are again littered with bottles and cans
from people who do not have the motivation or resources to travel
to these centers to complete the recycling cycle. 
Salem Statesman Journal
3/9/12
New Salem BottleDrop center opens doors for sneak peak
Quote:
Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative that collects recycled bottles and cans
throughout the state opened the “mega redemption center” as part of a pilot program
designed to simplify the bottle deposit and redemption process by having
full-service redemption centers centrally located near several large retailers.<snip>
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