Hidden bottle hunt to celebrate 50 years of Oregon's Bottle Bill

(JULY 3, 2021) Oregon's Bottle Bill is turning 50 years old! To celebrate, there is a hidden bottle hunt with prizes.

What is Oregon's Bottle Bill? It is a law. It started in 1971. Oregon became the first state to have one. The law created the deposit on beverage containers. The deposit is currently 10 cents. For example, you buy a can of soda and you pay a 10-cent deposit. When you return the can for recycling, then you get 10 cents back.

A deposit makes people want to recycle more. People in Oregon return 2 billion containers each year. That is 80% to 90% of all containers sold in Oregon. This helps the environment and the economy.

To celebrate the law's birthday, there is a special event. It is a Hidden Bottle Hunt. Six golden bottles are hidden in six different locations throughout the state. New clues will be available each day from July 7-11.

People who find a golden bottle will get to keep it. The recycling program will also make a $500 donation to a nonprofit organization that the winner chooses. To read the clues, go to: https://www.bottledropcenters.com/hunt/