PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Come July 31, the lid goes on the bottle at Delta Park, capping off a debate that’s been bubbling for years. That's according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC).
The center, located at 1176 N. Hayden Meadows Drive, will end public service as BottleDrop expands its Green and Blue Bag drop sites in partnership with retailers in the Delta Park area.
For many people, cashing in cans and bottles at the Delta Park BottleDrop in North Portland has been a way to put a little extra money in their pockets.
“I come here about every week or so,” said customer Jessi Brown.
But soon that option will no longer be available. The BottleDrop location is set to close, and some nearby businesses say they’re welcoming the change.
“I think it will definitely improve the area here,” said John Dhu, an associate at ZC Cabinet and Countertop.
Winnie Nguyen, manager of Premiere Beauty Supply just a couple doors down, says she believes the BottleDrop has contributed to ongoing problems in the area.
“I hope that after they're gone, all the homeless will be moved away from the area, so it will help the area look better, so the business is better as well, I hope,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen says her store has been broken into multiple times.
“We got broke in so many times, we now put the board behind the windows so that they don't break in again,” she said.
She also shared a video that she says shows two shoplifters returning to her store and physically fighting her.
However, not everyone agrees that the BottleDrop location is to blame.
Traci Freeman, who frequents the location, says she hasn’t experienced the same concerns.
“I mean it's just like anywhere else. I mean it's really not dangerous like everybody thinks it is,” Freeman said.
“I've come here for years and I've never noticed anything,” she said.
The closure marks the end of the BottleDrop’s presence at Delta Park — a change some believe will improve the neighborhood, while others say it takes away a needed resource.
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OBRC, which operates Oregon's BottleDrop network, said retailers in the Delta Park area of North Portland will be accepting bottles through the Green and Blue Bag program. Though they did state which retailers will be accepting bottles.
KATU previously reached out to the Portland Police Bureau about separate incidents that happened near BottleDrop locations. A spokesperson said it was challenging to attribute any specific criminal behavior to those facilities.
"Anecdotally, we see criminal behavior around bottle drop locations which can explain changes to the bottle redemption law. However, it’s difficult to capture the extent of the behavior around any one location. For instance, if someone is caught with drugs two blocks away, is the bottle drop facility to blame for that? What about three or four blocks away?" said PPB spokesperson Mike Benner. "Ultimately, it’s tough to indicate what criminal behavior can/can’t be attributed to a facility like a bottle drop."
With the Delta Park BottleDrop leaving in the summer, KATU is working to confirm which North Portland retailers will be accepting bottles in lieu of the center.
“Since 1971, Oregon’s Bottle Bill has delivered outstanding recycling outcomes and positive environmental benefits for communities across the state,” said Devon Morales, Vice President of Strategy and Outreach at the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative. “By partnering with retailers to expand Green and Blue Bag drop site access throughout the Delta Park area, we’re making it even easier and more convenient for customers to redeem their containers, while also having a hand in continuing Oregon’s proud legacy of environmental stewardship. All bottles and cans are 100% recycled in the U.S., and so are the BottleDrop bags. When recycling is simple and accessible, Oregonians, our communities and the environment all win.”
