PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's "Bottle Bill" has a long and treasured history in the state. But what was once considered a categorical good for the environment now faces pushback when it comes to Portland neighborhoods where bottle redemption happens.
For some families, collecting cans fills the gaps. For people like Jean, who lives in an RV at Delta Park, it’s a full-time job. Jean has camped at Delta Park for the last four years in part because of the BottleDrop.
“It means a lot to me, and I know a lot of other people,” she said.
“We kind of just depend on it for gas or like little extra things like the light bill — little extra money, really,” added Monica, who goes to the Delta Park BottleDrop with her mother once a month.
But this seemingly innocent way of padding one's pocket, can come at a price for the surrounding neighborhood. In the past two months, Portland police have responded to the BottleDrop at Delta Park five times: twice for traffic stops and three for suspicious circumstances calls.
City data obtained by KGW shows that between Jan. 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, police, fire, and medical teams responded to three businesses that offer bottle redemption services 344 times. They responded to the Delta Park Bottle Drop 84 times, the Plaid Pantry on Southwest Jefferson Street and 11th Avenue 160 times, and the Safeway on Southwest Jefferson Street and 10th Avenue 100 times.
“We don't want that here in our neighborhood,” said Will Mestayer, who lives in the St. Johns neighborhood.
The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) is looking to open a BottleDrop location in a former Dollar Tree on North Lombard Street. The OBRC is the group that owns and operates all Oregon BottleDrop redemption centers.
“It would accelerate drug use, crime, and everything that is proven in data to surround these bottle drop locations,” said Mestayer.
“Well, it will bring more people, but they're here — they've got to go somewhere, you know?” said Dusty, who volunteers at a North Portland food pantry.
The OBRC sent KGW the following statement:
"BottleDrop Redemption Centers provide important access for neighbors to redeem containers and receive their refunds. They are well-staffed, well-maintained facilities that serve an important role in the community, helping Oregonians access hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds each year. It is not uncommon to hear from local officials in cities across Oregon asking us to bring the BottleDrop network to their communities, as was the case in North Bend and McMinnville, where BottleDrop’s most recent Redemption Centers were built.
"The well-documented addiction crisis in the Portland area presents a specific challenge for many businesses and institutions in the area. Be it the library system, emergency rooms, public transportation, retail stores, or container returns, the impacts of Portland’s addiction and livability crisis are significant. Peer reviewed academic research actually shows a decrease in property crime in Bottle Bill communities versus cities in states that do not have a Bottle Bill. Like everybody in Portland, we are eager to see real and lasting solutions to these underlying issues."
Starting Saturday, local public safety officials are pausing certain bottle return services at two locations downtown — the Safeway at Southwest Jefferson Street and 10th Avenue and the Plaid Pantry a block away — for 30 days. Those locations give out cash for individual containers. The pause is an idea from those behind the fentanyl state of emergency declared in late January, and an attempt to stop drug activity there.
“It only takes a handful of bottles or cans to be traded in for cash to be cycled right back to purchase fentanyl and to keep the cycle going,” said Mike Myers, Portland’s Community Safety Division director, told the press at a state of emergency briefing Thursday morning.
It's an open question whether that pause will make any difference in the cycle of addiction for people out on the streets.
“People are going to buy their drugs no matter what — whether it has to do with the BottleDrop or not, they're going to find a way, you know?” added Jean.
Court documents show the BottleDrop at Delta Park has been sued in the past over security issues. According to a 2022 lawsuit, the Delta Park center was forced to hire armed security due to safety concerns and loitering happening outside the location. The case ended in a settlement and the OBRC did not share the details with KGW, saying they could not comment on legal matters.