Case study of
#00089 Deposit return schemes (bottle bills) on beverage containers
Oregon, USA
#00100
SuccessRegion
Implementer
State of Oregon
Timeline
Since Oct 1, 1971
Location
Oregon, USA43.8041, -120.5542
Description
Oregon's Bottle Bill (1971) was the first deposit-return law in the United States. Roadside surveys documented that beverage containers fell from roughly 40% of roadside litter before the law to approximately 6% by 1979, with total roadside litter dropping 39% within two years of enactment. Oregon later raised the deposit amount to counteract inflation-driven erosion of the redemption incentive.
Metrics
3Container share of roadside litter~40% (pre-1971)~6% (by 1979)
Beverage container litter-85% (by 1979)
Total roadside litter-39% (by year 2)
Lessons learned
- Deposit value erodes with inflation: a fixed nominal deposit loses redemption power over time unless periodically updated — Oregon's own experience led it to raise the deposit after the original amount proved insufficient.
Sources
2Documented Jun 26, 2026