Staff photo by E.J. HarrisPatrons use the recycling kiosks at the Bottle Drop recycling center on Tuesday in Hermiston.

On April 1, Oregonians got a new incentive to recycle cans and bottles when the state’s bottle deposit increased from a nickel to a dime.

People at the Hermiston Bottle Drop are taking advantage of it, and the state has seen double the returns since the increase.

“I was going to come in yesterday, but there was a line,” said John Sobotta, who brought a cart full of plastic and glass bottles. “I had to come back.”

The bottle drop, at 740 W. Hermiston Ave., was consistently busy Thursday afternoon, with most of the self-serve machines occupied.

Before the deposit was increased, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission evaluated redemption data for the entire state for the past two years to determine whether the number of containers returned for refund was less than 80 percent of the total number sold in the state. If it was less than 80 percent, the state would have to increase the redemption rate per bottle from five to 10 cents.

It was determined that for the last four years the return rate dropped from 70 percent in 2012 and 2013 to 68 percent in 2014, and 64 percent in 2015.

The Bottle Drop station in Hermiston opened in July 2016. Before that, people could deposit their bottles and cans at individual grocery stores.

Some at the Hermiston Bottle Drop were encouraged to start recycling beverage containers after the redemption rate increased.

“This is my first time here,” said Susan Carlson, after depositing a cart full of bottles.

“It’s actually pretty easy. Before, at the grocery store, it was cold and it would spit the cans out sometimes. But here, there’s nice, friendly help. I definitely think I’ll come back.”

Carlson also signed up for an account at the Bottle Drop, in which customers receive two green bags and an account cart. They can fill and drop off up to two green bags filled with containers per day.

Others have been using bottle drop stations for years, but are now starting to see more returns.

“It’s a pretty good deal,” said Sobotta, who has been coming in since before the deposit increased. “I think I’ll use it more.”

Jules Bailey, chief stewardship officer and director of external relations for the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, said the state has overall seen double the returns they had before the deposit increased.

“That’s true for Hermiston,” he said. Bottle drop centers around the state are also expanding and hiring more people.

John Kasuba is new to the Hermiston area, but has been depositing bottles and cans for years in Gresham, where he used to live.

Kasuba said he likes that more people might recycle because of the increase, but isn’t convinced it will benefit everyone. He said while people might deposit more in the hopes of getting some more money back, it won’t make a real dent in people’s incomes.

“People are still not making enough to rent an apartment in Multnomah County,” he said. “That’s why I’m out here. I don’t think incomes are going to increase in correspondence with the increased bottle deposit.”

Still, he said, the increase may encourage some to drop off bottles when they wouldn’t have before.

“I met a lady over there, she was familiar with the stigma,” Kasuba said. “Her friends wouldn’t deposit them, they’d just throw them away. But now, with the higher deposit, she’s going to collect bottles from all her friends. These centers are nicer, and it’s easier to load, too. So maybe there is some good out of it.”

The station also has several bins for recycling plastic bags, cans, glass and cardboard, and has five self-serve stations and a staffed customer service table. Starting Jan. 1, 2018, beverage containers for tea, coffee, hard cider, fruit juice, kombucha and coconut water will also be redeemable for a deposit.

The station is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, and there is an outside drop station as well. There are daily limits on how much an individual can deposit: Two green bags per person per day and 350 containers per person per day.

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Contact Jayati Ramakrishnan at 541-564-4534 or jramakrishnan@eastoregonian.com