Oregon Public Broadcasting

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon's iconic bottle deposit system will get an overhaul under a bill signed into law Thursday by Governor John Kitzhaber. The revised "Bottle Bill" increases bottle deposits from a nickel to a dime for certain containers — ones that have a recycling rate of 80 percent or below for two years in a row.

The new law also expands the types of beverage containers covered and opens the door for more standalone bottle return centers. Democratic House Representative Ben Cannon co-sponsored the bill.

Ben Cannon: "This bill, in my view, and the bottle bill is really about more than recycling. It is about the culture of Oregon. It is about who we are as Oregonians. It's about the ethos that we pass on to our children, one of conservation."

Oregon was the first state in the nation to have a bottle deposit law 40 years ago. The governor's signature marks a win for the state's environmental lobby.

On the Web:

Bottle bill expansion:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/11reg/measures/hb3100.dir/hb3145.a.html

Bottle bills in the U.S.:

http://www.bottlebill.org/legislation/usa/allstates.htm

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