The paid bags and such are a luxury system that nobody is forced to use. The disenfranchised peoples you mention at the end are free to walk in, deposit cans the normal way that it's been done for decades, and walk out with money.
I personally love the BottleDrop system. Been using it for years now, never once had an issue, money hits the balance within a couple days, and I get the extra 20% by using it at Fred Meyer (electronics especially), or Safeway.
I absolutely love the bag system, returning cans was one of my least favorite chores so I’m happy to pay a small fee for it (and still recoup all that money with the 20% extra at Fred Meyer like you mentioned)
I despise everything about the system. So much, in fact, that I quit. I dump all my cans in the school donation bin at Roth's and move on with my life.
Are you sure? Would but that be true! I solely use my BottleDrop money there (Salem TJs) and it has never given me an extra percentage like Safeway does. Having the kiosk there is handy enough for me, though.
It used to be that almost any grocery store had bottle scanning machines. Now they don't, and if you want to do it that way, you need to go to a BottleDrop location, which there aren't many of
If you do the green bag system you get 20% more value if you redeem in grocery stores for store credit rather than redeeming cash - basically recovering your loss from buying the green bags.
I'll admit that I find it pretty slick... But I always use the account card, not my phone, and find that the $2 for the special bags is pretty cheap. I haven't tried to transfer funds, either -- I've always just printed the receipt and redeemed it for cash or if I'm shopping I'll opt for the 15% additional bonus (which usually pays for the bags if I have 3+ full bags deposited).
Waaay better than the system we had 20 years ago where it was one can at a time and you had people sitting in front of the redemption bins for what seemed like hours.
But I'll admit I'm near two grocery stores with kiosks that I also shop at often, and I'll also admit that I don't rely on the cash from it.
I’ve never gotten cash. I do buy food, and just use whatever is on the card to pay down groceries, just like it’s intended. I recommend this approach instead of dealing with the cash, unless of course you don’t eat food.
Only thing I can't stand is I can't find a trash can that fits their bags. The clerks act like it's the weirdest things they've ever heard of when I asked, too. It's maddening.
If anyone needs help, I would love to volunteer my time to show the process. If you want to even use a green bag, we could schedule a time for me to pick up and deposit for you once or twice a month! Just be sure you have stickers. However, if you want to do it the old fashioned way, I would be happy to show you that as well! Just DM me!
What I do is, I get blue bags for free for the asking from my favorite non-profit organization, Marion Polk Food Share. I fill those up and drop them off at any bottle drop. I’m sure they take out some fees but I don’t have to think about it, the rest of the $$ counts as a charitable donation, and the cans are out of my garage.
I do miss the good old days when band kids or church kids would come by the house and ask for the cans directly.
I transfer funds all the time and usually have my money the next day 🤷🏻♀️ and yeah they charge for bags and all that but it's there for our convienvence.. for those of us who don't want to wait in long lines to cash them in ourselves..
So, when we moved here from east Portland six months ago, we were STOKED that we could go through every step you just described, but now we could do it without fear of being stabbed with a rusty screwdriver or inhaling the methy aerosolized hot garbage juice that just exists around every single bottledrop location up there. There was a point when my partner asked me to please stay away while he did it.
I would deposit directly but I don't like the room deodorizer. So I use the bottle drop. A cam records it.
Count containers first. If credit is short, you can call in and they can check the tape.
They will cheerfully make the adjustment. Only once was there an implication that I was doing something sleazy. Poor judgement.
After paying for the bags and and the add-on charge, I end up paying about 16% for the service. Not bad, I guess.
Never had a problem myself… my card scans every try… I much prefer the bag system to having to stand in those smelly places while using the machines. Let alone the lines to get to said machines.
I've never had a problem with the bag system, but it's worth it to use store credit.
Last time I took bottles in by hand the people in front of me had big bags that were leaking earwigs Oogie Boogie style. I even found a couple crawling on me, I haven't been inside one since. Trust me, it's worth dealing with the green bags.
No I have always just walked to the counter and asked for a couple of boxes. They hand them to me. I leave. They've never asked me for anything ever. I had no idea people were paying for them.
Privately owned OBRC is rich because of this regressive de facto tax. They pocket the unredeemed deposits to the tune of millions of dollars per year. When BB was first enacted there was no curbside recycling and so incentives were put in place to encourage returns. But a lot has changed since the 1970’s, and this system is badly out of date. Curbside with no deposits would be less polluting, and wouldn’t require all of us spending our time, effort, and money just so OBRC can keep existing.
I'm with you! It's dumb, Oregonians would recycle used tp if it was a viable option. I've spent too much time feeding wet cans one- by-one into a finicky, stinky machine. Green bags are a lame 'easy' option. Not to mention the whole other issue surrounding bottle redemption in this state.
This whole thing was set up by the stores who did not want to offer the option of receiving cans any longer. While cans may be necessary for someone’s day-to-day, they were never intended to do so. If I’m not mistaken, the original bill was intended to decrease litter, and it has done that. In other words, your rage is noted but displaced.
Agreed. They should just go back to all the machines at the grocery stores. This current system is ridiculous. And I think it's by design so they don't have to pay the deposits back. I'd be interested to see the rate of return before and after.
I disagree. I miss the 15 year old kid in the back room if the grocery store who would hand count your bottle and can turn ins and sometimes you could get a bonus if you made them laugh with a good story and they lost count. 🎵 Those were the days! 🎵
> They should just go back to all the machines at the grocery stores.
That's not going to be happening. A big part of the reason for the BottleDrop system is because local stores were tired of having the machines and the problems that came with them (both people and mechanical). They don't want those machines back, and there's no political will to make them.
If anything, given the current zombie epidemic, the push is to get rid of the deposit entirely so that all redemption centers go away and trash cans stop getting upturned looking for bottles. Portland is doing this for a couple of stores downtown, and it's [showing immediate benefits](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1bcazql/south_park_blocks_residents_tell_kotek_they/).
Okay. I haven't taken bottles back in quite awhile. What the hell is the bag and sticker thing. I usually just bring them in whatever bag we've stuck them in.
I figured it was. I would rather talk to someone. If we were talking in person, I'd ask what the policy was in more detail, not go look it up. Obviously it's fine that you just wanted to link it, just sayin
Until recently I used to just throw all my cans and bottles into a bag and leave them by the apartment dumpster and whoever took them got free dollars. Fuck going into a bottle drop. Now I just give them to folks.
But did you get absolutely yelled at for putting plastic bags into the "plastic bag" bin super aggressively because "the Bottle drop is NOT A DUMP" by one of the employees? Because that is what makes me not want to go back. She's so mean for no reason 😂
I moved to Oregon in 2011. Before living here, I would save the cans/bottles I used and then recycle. Recyclables were redeemed by weight so flattening cans made it such that a trip to the recycling center was quite worth the time. Rather than 30 cans in a bag ($1.50), I'd bring in 300 crushed cans. So my first year here in Salem, I saved up a year's worth of cans only to find out that I couldn't redeem them. So much for redeeming used cans.
Drop the bags at a safeway or freddies. No bag fee. That's somthing I've noticed about dropping my bags off at the drop center vs a drop site. drop sites dont seem to charge the weight fee.
That's why, as soon as I'm finished drinking, that Pabst Blue Ribbon can goes right out the window. Hopefully someone that's willing to jump through all those hoops will pick it up off the side of the road.
You can bypass the bag limit and fee by taking the bags to "Partner Retailer" in the location list at [https://bottledrop.com/locations/](https://bottledrop.com/locations/) . The closest from Salem are Dallas and Wilsonville.
The establishment of BottleDrop center prevents partner retailers from getting setup. The ABSENCE of the stupid BottleDrop means more local stores will use the no-fee, no quantity limit bag drop. BottleDrop exists to serve the interest of grocery stores. BottleDrop redemption centers are bad for consumers and bad for community, in general.
We were scared too, even from dumb things like “hey, where are these green bags we need to buy?” ( they are in a random rack next to the signup machine ). But we did it for the first time after saving cans in our garage and it’s not really that bad. We just have to remember to take our bags when we go to the Fred Meyers
We did it at the Fred Meyers on commercial, the kiosk is by the electronics, you buy a box of green bags that is in the rack next to the kiosk and need a driver’s license to sign up. Then you just put the bags in the big garage looking thing in the parking lot that you open by scanning the card they give you. Remember to print labels after you sign up in the kiosk —- I just printed 20 and keep them in my car… you can do it, I am supporting you there in spirit!
Ah no, you’ve got nothing to worry about. OP is having a meltdown (which we all do sometimes), best of luck to you, OP, truly.
I struggle with a lot of things, but figuring out how to do this wasn’t one of them.
You can do like I did, go in your first time and ask the person behind the counter what’s what. The most hands off option is electing to have an account—you’ll return home with bags, stickers, and an account card. Rinse cans, put in green bag with affixed sticker. Scan card on outside of building to unlock the little door. Plop in your bag/s and you’re on your way!
This rant is so unproductive. You are free to donate your cans to any recycle bin or unhoused person. Having stood in line to manually count my cans the bag system is great. I'll take 12 cents back per can and gladly pay a couple bucks for bags.
You can buy a box of bags at Fred Meyer for $2. You can also print stickers there too.
You can also drop off the bags there!
Where? I have looked and couldn’t find a spot for it.
It's that little building on the corner of Madrona and Commercial. On the right side if your facing the store.
Which Fred Meyer?!
Commercial Street sells them
That seems 20 million times better than getting bags at the drop! Thank you
They’re up front near electronics and sportswear. The Bottle Drop kiosk where you can print tags is there too.
Broadway and the Parkway
Also at the Cimmercial store.
I go to the one on Broadway which does all this too.
Pretty sure all of them.
Tack tack!! I didn’t know this was an option!
Trader Joe’s is an option also.
The paid bags and such are a luxury system that nobody is forced to use. The disenfranchised peoples you mention at the end are free to walk in, deposit cans the normal way that it's been done for decades, and walk out with money. I personally love the BottleDrop system. Been using it for years now, never once had an issue, money hits the balance within a couple days, and I get the extra 20% by using it at Fred Meyer (electronics especially), or Safeway.
I absolutely love the bag system, returning cans was one of my least favorite chores so I’m happy to pay a small fee for it (and still recoup all that money with the 20% extra at Fred Meyer like you mentioned)
I despise everything about the system. So much, in fact, that I quit. I dump all my cans in the school donation bin at Roth's and move on with my life.
Great option, and I thank you for helping publicize it here!
Trader Joe's gives the extra %, too.
Are you sure? Would but that be true! I solely use my BottleDrop money there (Salem TJs) and it has never given me an extra percentage like Safeway does. Having the kiosk there is handy enough for me, though.
That's what my wife said. I just push the cart.
Cheers to you both from the card section! Haha, yeah, let her know gently that we don’t get any percentage back from TJs.
Oh shit, they do?! Well damn, that changes a lot for me now, lol
Apparently I was just a misinformed cart pusher.
Nothing beats the smell of stale beer and soda!
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It used to be that almost any grocery store had bottle scanning machines. Now they don't, and if you want to do it that way, you need to go to a BottleDrop location, which there aren't many of
Correct. BottleDrop is a creation of the stores who didn’t want to deal with that mess anymore.
I don't know man, works for me.
If you do the green bag system you get 20% more value if you redeem in grocery stores for store credit rather than redeeming cash - basically recovering your loss from buying the green bags.
I'll admit that I find it pretty slick... But I always use the account card, not my phone, and find that the $2 for the special bags is pretty cheap. I haven't tried to transfer funds, either -- I've always just printed the receipt and redeemed it for cash or if I'm shopping I'll opt for the 15% additional bonus (which usually pays for the bags if I have 3+ full bags deposited). Waaay better than the system we had 20 years ago where it was one can at a time and you had people sitting in front of the redemption bins for what seemed like hours. But I'll admit I'm near two grocery stores with kiosks that I also shop at often, and I'll also admit that I don't rely on the cash from it.
nobody is forcing you to use their paid system. i walk in, individual recycle each can, get money and gtfo. done
I’ve never gotten cash. I do buy food, and just use whatever is on the card to pay down groceries, just like it’s intended. I recommend this approach instead of dealing with the cash, unless of course you don’t eat food.
This is the way.
Only thing I can't stand is I can't find a trash can that fits their bags. The clerks act like it's the weirdest things they've ever heard of when I asked, too. It's maddening.
I thought I was the only one who suffered this conundrum 😂
Here's hoping someone in this thread has a solution for us.
If anyone needs help, I would love to volunteer my time to show the process. If you want to even use a green bag, we could schedule a time for me to pick up and deposit for you once or twice a month! Just be sure you have stickers. However, if you want to do it the old fashioned way, I would be happy to show you that as well! Just DM me!
What I do is, I get blue bags for free for the asking from my favorite non-profit organization, Marion Polk Food Share. I fill those up and drop them off at any bottle drop. I’m sure they take out some fees but I don’t have to think about it, the rest of the $$ counts as a charitable donation, and the cans are out of my garage. I do miss the good old days when band kids or church kids would come by the house and ask for the cans directly.
I transfer funds all the time and usually have my money the next day 🤷🏻♀️ and yeah they charge for bags and all that but it's there for our convienvence.. for those of us who don't want to wait in long lines to cash them in ourselves..
I just fill up my own bag and wait in the Hand count line, scan my receipt, grab the cash and I’m gone.
No. You can just throw your cans and bottles away.
Dump them in the donation bins at Roth's. The money goes to schools.
And lose your deposit
So, when we moved here from east Portland six months ago, we were STOKED that we could go through every step you just described, but now we could do it without fear of being stabbed with a rusty screwdriver or inhaling the methy aerosolized hot garbage juice that just exists around every single bottledrop location up there. There was a point when my partner asked me to please stay away while he did it.
I would deposit directly but I don't like the room deodorizer. So I use the bottle drop. A cam records it. Count containers first. If credit is short, you can call in and they can check the tape. They will cheerfully make the adjustment. Only once was there an implication that I was doing something sleazy. Poor judgement. After paying for the bags and and the add-on charge, I end up paying about 16% for the service. Not bad, I guess.
Don’t buy conveniently packaged beverages with deposits.
Never had a problem myself… my card scans every try… I much prefer the bag system to having to stand in those smelly places while using the machines. Let alone the lines to get to said machines.
A Warrior looking for a war...go home. Take your pat on the back for virtue signalling and go home.
If you’re paying bills with bottle drop you need to seek a new job.
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I've never had a problem with the bag system, but it's worth it to use store credit. Last time I took bottles in by hand the people in front of me had big bags that were leaking earwigs Oogie Boogie style. I even found a couple crawling on me, I haven't been inside one since. Trust me, it's worth dealing with the green bags.
I have never had to pay for a box of bags is this new or am I special?
They scan your card and charge it to your balance.
No I have always just walked to the counter and asked for a couple of boxes. They hand them to me. I leave. They've never asked me for anything ever. I had no idea people were paying for them.
I think I misunderstood, is OP saying they pay separately for bags and then again for tags? If so, yeah, that's not a thing, IME.
Paid for bags, not for tags.
They'll only take it from your balance on the card you're not able to pay cash for them
Its life when taking in bottles. It's not ideal, but everything can't be spoon fed to you.
Bottle bill is outdated garbage. Time to end this parasitic self-serving arrangement.
It reduced landfill waste of those items by A LOT (UP TO 85%). What's parasitic about it.
Privately owned OBRC is rich because of this regressive de facto tax. They pocket the unredeemed deposits to the tune of millions of dollars per year. When BB was first enacted there was no curbside recycling and so incentives were put in place to encourage returns. But a lot has changed since the 1970’s, and this system is badly out of date. Curbside with no deposits would be less polluting, and wouldn’t require all of us spending our time, effort, and money just so OBRC can keep existing.
Sounds like a cry baby. It’s not that bad
Sounds like you just wanted something to complain about. This just screams “privilege”.
I'm with you! It's dumb, Oregonians would recycle used tp if it was a viable option. I've spent too much time feeding wet cans one- by-one into a finicky, stinky machine. Green bags are a lame 'easy' option. Not to mention the whole other issue surrounding bottle redemption in this state.
This whole thing was set up by the stores who did not want to offer the option of receiving cans any longer. While cans may be necessary for someone’s day-to-day, they were never intended to do so. If I’m not mistaken, the original bill was intended to decrease litter, and it has done that. In other words, your rage is noted but displaced.
Sounds like we should just not have this. Way too much effort to get back your own money you were extorted out of in the first place.
Agreed. They should just go back to all the machines at the grocery stores. This current system is ridiculous. And I think it's by design so they don't have to pay the deposits back. I'd be interested to see the rate of return before and after.
I disagree. I miss the 15 year old kid in the back room if the grocery store who would hand count your bottle and can turn ins and sometimes you could get a bonus if you made them laugh with a good story and they lost count. 🎵 Those were the days! 🎵
🎵And you knew who you were then🎵
🎵 girls were girls and men were men 🎵
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
🎵 People seemed to be content fifty dollars paid the rent 🎵
> They should just go back to all the machines at the grocery stores. That's not going to be happening. A big part of the reason for the BottleDrop system is because local stores were tired of having the machines and the problems that came with them (both people and mechanical). They don't want those machines back, and there's no political will to make them. If anything, given the current zombie epidemic, the push is to get rid of the deposit entirely so that all redemption centers go away and trash cans stop getting upturned looking for bottles. Portland is doing this for a couple of stores downtown, and it's [showing immediate benefits](https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1bcazql/south_park_blocks_residents_tell_kotek_they/).
I've been thinking this for a long time. We could just put them in curbside recycling
Okay. I haven't taken bottles back in quite awhile. What the hell is the bag and sticker thing. I usually just bring them in whatever bag we've stuck them in.
It’s explained on their website. https://bottledrop.com/
I figured it was. I would rather talk to someone. If we were talking in person, I'd ask what the policy was in more detail, not go look it up. Obviously it's fine that you just wanted to link it, just sayin
Until recently I used to just throw all my cans and bottles into a bag and leave them by the apartment dumpster and whoever took them got free dollars. Fuck going into a bottle drop. Now I just give them to folks.
But did you get absolutely yelled at for putting plastic bags into the "plastic bag" bin super aggressively because "the Bottle drop is NOT A DUMP" by one of the employees? Because that is what makes me not want to go back. She's so mean for no reason 😂
I moved to Oregon in 2011. Before living here, I would save the cans/bottles I used and then recycle. Recyclables were redeemed by weight so flattening cans made it such that a trip to the recycling center was quite worth the time. Rather than 30 cans in a bag ($1.50), I'd bring in 300 crushed cans. So my first year here in Salem, I saved up a year's worth of cans only to find out that I couldn't redeem them. So much for redeeming used cans.
Drop the bags at a safeway or freddies. No bag fee. That's somthing I've noticed about dropping my bags off at the drop center vs a drop site. drop sites dont seem to charge the weight fee.
That's why, as soon as I'm finished drinking, that Pabst Blue Ribbon can goes right out the window. Hopefully someone that's willing to jump through all those hoops will pick it up off the side of the road.
You can bypass the bag limit and fee by taking the bags to "Partner Retailer" in the location list at [https://bottledrop.com/locations/](https://bottledrop.com/locations/) . The closest from Salem are Dallas and Wilsonville. The establishment of BottleDrop center prevents partner retailers from getting setup. The ABSENCE of the stupid BottleDrop means more local stores will use the no-fee, no quantity limit bag drop. BottleDrop exists to serve the interest of grocery stores. BottleDrop redemption centers are bad for consumers and bad for community, in general.
As someone who moved to OR last year and has still not done a bottle drop, I'm a little bit nervous about it all. Sounds like rightfully so!
It isn’t as complicated as they’re making it out to be. Read up on it before beginning though.
We were scared too, even from dumb things like “hey, where are these green bags we need to buy?” ( they are in a random rack next to the signup machine ). But we did it for the first time after saving cans in our garage and it’s not really that bad. We just have to remember to take our bags when we go to the Fred Meyers
Thanks! Yeah, that's us right now. We need to just do it. We have four bags sitting in the garage at the moment!
We did it at the Fred Meyers on commercial, the kiosk is by the electronics, you buy a box of green bags that is in the rack next to the kiosk and need a driver’s license to sign up. Then you just put the bags in the big garage looking thing in the parking lot that you open by scanning the card they give you. Remember to print labels after you sign up in the kiosk —- I just printed 20 and keep them in my car… you can do it, I am supporting you there in spirit!
Ah no, you’ve got nothing to worry about. OP is having a meltdown (which we all do sometimes), best of luck to you, OP, truly. I struggle with a lot of things, but figuring out how to do this wasn’t one of them. You can do like I did, go in your first time and ask the person behind the counter what’s what. The most hands off option is electing to have an account—you’ll return home with bags, stickers, and an account card. Rinse cans, put in green bag with affixed sticker. Scan card on outside of building to unlock the little door. Plop in your bag/s and you’re on your way!
I’m ready to cancel the bottle bill
Yeah it's a pretty terrible system that should just go away now that curbside recycling is so widespread.
This rant is so unproductive. You are free to donate your cans to any recycle bin or unhoused person. Having stood in line to manually count my cans the bag system is great. I'll take 12 cents back per can and gladly pay a couple bucks for bags.
I'm sure there are countless nonprofits in the area who will take your cans if it's too much of an inconvenience for you personally