Did you know that Oregon was the first state to enact a “bottle bill”?
The law placed a 5-cent deposit on most single-use beverage containers made of plastic, glass or metal up to 1.5 liter sizes.
The bill was modified in 2007 to include bottled water (check out last month’s Trash Talk about plastic water bottles; if you didn’t read it, check the Herald and News online for October 26 “Business” section); and more recently in 2017 to increase the deposit to 10 cents.
The increased deposit was enacted to improve the redemption rate.
It was quite successful, increasing overall collection from 64.3 percent in 2016 to 73.3 percent in 2017.
The Oregon Bottle Bill program is enforced by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and administered by the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC).
The containers for the above beverages must be three liters or less in size.
All other beverages (except distilled liquor, wine, dairy and plant milks, infant formula and meal replacement drinks) can be redeemed if the container size is from 4 ounces up to 1.5 liter, and include but is not limited to: In 2015, a staffed BottleDrop Center was opened in Klamath Falls at 2702 Eberlein Avenue to make redemption of bottles and cans easier and more efficient.
There are also self-serve reverse vending machines where you can redeem up to 350 containers per day; or you can use the hand count system, where a staff member will count the containers if you have 50 or fewer.
Your refund can be collected at the center in the form of cash or added to your account card, or you can print a voucher and redeem for cash at a participating retailer.

The chief justice observed that reports had been received regarding procedures and quality of bottled water by the companies.
To which, Nestle’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan submitted that his client was ready to remove deficiencies mentioned in the report.
He further submitted that arsenic and bacteria were removed from water extracted from the underground, in response to a court query regarding wastage of water resource in purification process.
However, EPA Director General Farzana Altaf submitted that arsenic was not found at every place but the companies did not had labs to ensure the water quality.
At this, the chief justice remarked why Nestle had not retained the quality of its bottled water in Pakistan.
“We will not let Pakistan be treated like a third world country and we will not let discrimination take place,” CJP asserted.
He further submitted the authority had sealed a plant of Naubahar, a franchise of Pepsi.
The chief justice took a very strict notice of the situation and ordered immediate arrest of Adnan Khan.
However, later, the orders were withdrawn after he sought apology.
However, the court adjourning the further hearing till December 3 ordered the counsel of companies to sit with the commission comprising EPA Director General Farzana Altaf Shah along with Dr Mohammad Ahsan Siddiqui and others and remove deficiencies within ten days.

DETROIT, Mich. — He once delivered key plays for the Buckeyes.
Tuesday, Donnie Ray Evege delivered something else, and he teamed up with Michigan Wolverine friends and former rivals to do it.
Evege is now the owner and CEO of OH2O, a bottled water company that has the mottoe Offering Hydration To Others".
Evege said he recently learned Detroit, Michigan has a water problem.
It’s one that has forced Mumford High School students to drink bottled water, because the tap water contains lead and copper and isn’t safe to drink.
Evege put aside the rivalry and enlisted the help of former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner.
Together they donated 150 cases of water to the school, for a total of 1800 one liter bottles.
"Tradition is impeccable.
But when you look at Americans- when there’s a need and there’s a crisis, we need to come together."
"For a guy who is an Ohio State guy to want to come and help his rival, his fiercest rival, the biggest rivalry in sports to come to help a situation that shouldn’t exist, but it does, is amazing," said former Michigan Quarterback Devin Gardner.

The court also directed all the bottled water companies, including Nestle, to remove faults in their products within 10 days and make water purification system commonly known as “reverse osmosis” free of all deficiencies.
The two-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing the case relating to the quality of mineral water, being sold by bottled water companies.
At that, the CJ ordered the PFA to get the director of the bottling company arrested after lodging a criminal case against him, but withdrew the order on the request of Nestle water company’s counsel Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan.
The auditor general’s report also found that the cost of a 1.5 litre water bottle, including packaging, comes to Rs8.79.
During the course of hearing, Chief Justice Nisar also called Nestle’s chief executive officer Ms Freda Yahan Duplan to the rostrum and questioned her as to why her company had not maintained the water quality in Pakistan like in other countries.
After Khan asked the court for forgiveness, the orders for his arrest were withdrawn.
While hearing the case, the court also directed an inspection of Shezan International Limited.
The Environmental Protection Agency-Federal Director General Farzana Shah told the bench that though arsenic was not been found in all the groundwater samples, but the companies did not establish their own laboratories to examine the ingredients of the water being extracted by them.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan noted that the water polluted with arsenic is being discharged in sewage by these companies after water purification process/reverse osmosis.
“It means these companies are polluting the aquifer with arsenic,” Chief Justice Nisar added.

If they didn’t get full, people wouldn’t leave bags and stacks of stuff on top of or around the bins, and it wouldn’t look so bad,” Martin said.
“And we wouldn’t have to spend time separating the trash from the recyclables.” If people would rinse out their soda cans and bottles, bees—and rodents—would not be attracted to the bins.
It would also cut down on odor, Martin said.
“In addition to being unsightly, [it] consumes county staff time, adds additional wear and tear and fuel costs to county vehicles leading to the use of more of your tax dollars.” The recycling center has one full time and one part time employee, plus an inmate from the county jail most days.
Each time a full truck of recycling comes into the facility it takes three-plus hours for the men to separate the materials from the trash.
That never happens,” Martin said.
Martin estimates about 35 percent of the plastic that is collected is non-recyclable material, Kelley said.
“It’s marked #1, but we only take #1 and #2 plastics that have screw tops—and the tops need to be removed.
The two types of plastic accepted should be placed in different bins as well, Martin said.
They can help us by recycling the proper materials in the proper way.” Recycling bins are located at Highway 9 and Torrington Drive, off the Morrison Moore bypass at Radar Ridge and during business hours at the recycling center, 1642 Red Oak Flats Road.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some residents in downtown and midtown Memphis are still dealing with brown and yellow water coming out of their faucets.
Pranav Chopra lives at The Renaissance is downtown Memphis.
"It’s only hot water too.
But if I turn on the hot water and get it in a bowl you see the water turn brown," he said.
MLGW sent us a statement saying, "brown, rusty water occurs from sediment in the pipes or rust from the inside walls of water mains.
The rust or the iron can be disturbed and temporarily suspending in water with unusual water flows from water mains or by flushing a hydrant."
"I washed here the other day and all my whites and my basketball jersey came out with brown stains," Chopra said.
"If it’s a city thing, then yeah we have to fix that.
MLGW says it’s unclear how many customers were affected, but apparently the water is safe to drink.
If your water doesn’t clear up, contact the Customer Care Center.

Manager Ryan Schaap tells the Eastern New Mexico News that the cows at Highland Dairy need to be milked but nobody will buy their wares, imperiling the dairy and its 40 employees.
Chemicals associated with firefighting foam once used at Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis have been detected in groundwater on and near the military installation, prompting requests by state officials for more tests and a study to determine the extent of the toxic plume.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in some off-base wells.
Schaap’s business is among those affected.
He said water at the dairy and farm were found to be 35 and 200 times the EPA limit, respectively.
Water at his parents’ home tested 10 times the limit.
A scientist with the New Mexico Environment Department explained at a recent town hall in Clovis that the chemicals can accumulate, making their way from water into crops, livestock and other products.
A standard for those chemicals’ hazards in food and animals hasn’t been established in the same way it has for drinking water, and officials have said more research is needed.
"Right now what’s in front of us is dealing with drinking water here at Cannon Air Force Base."
"Cannon must take responsibility of this problem and stop hiding behind the curtain of government," he wrote in a statement.

PLAINFIELD TWP., MI — After nearly a month without running water, a north Kent County family will likely have it again just in time for Thanksgiving.
County health officials denied them a permit to dig a new well because the neighborhood aquifer is contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances called PFAS — pollution from Wolverine World Wide’s nearby, decades-old House Street tannery waste dump site.
The state and Kent County both have regulations that forbid putting water-drinking wells in areas of known contamination.
Until then the Hula family, like days past, is without running water.
Finally, 18 days after officials were notified, Terry Hula got a call saying they were "expediting" a solution.
DEQ spokesperson Scott Dean said he expects the Hula family to have running water on Wednesday.
Family hopeful to host Thanksgiving dinner if water restored Over the past week neighbors aware of the Hula family’s troubles offered them everything from finished basements to stay in to spare keys to their homes, Terry Hula said.
Dean said he couldn’t "speak to" that and referred those questions to the Kent County Health Department.
A week later, DEQ gave Wolverine a deadline to "commit to providing the water tank and water hauling for the Hulas," Dean said.
Unlike the Hula family’s situation, residents and school children had running water as they awaited a long-term solution.

The Sewerage and Water board issued a precautionary boil water advisory Saturday morning for the entire East Bank of New Orleans.
This is due to a drop in water pressure.
Officials said that water samples had been collected and were sent out for testing.
Wash fruits and vegetables with bottled or boiled water.
Make new ice with bottled or boiled water.
To be safe, give your pets bottled or boiled water.
Be careful bathing If you’re a healthy adult, you can bathe or shower with tap water.
Use hand sanitizer after washing hands.
Take care cleaning Wash countertops and tables with boiled water.
Wash dishes by hand as usual.

Foreground — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Opaque Background — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Default Monospace Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Sans-Serif Casual Script Small Caps Defaults Done Bacteria found in a west Fort Worth neighborhood’s water has prompted the city to issue a boil water advisory.
According to the City of Fort Worth, residents who live along Farnsworth Avenue between Horne and Prevost streets in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood are advised to boil their water until further notice.
The advisory was issued on Saturday as a precaution after samples tested positive for coliform bacteria.
"We are issuing this notice as a precaution.
I want to err on the side of caution."
While the advisory is in effect, Fort Worth Water Department will provide bottled water for residents on the north and south sides of the 5200 to 5600 blocks of Farnsworth Avenue.
Testing was prompted after a resident complained about cloudy water on Monday.
Water was tested a second time on Friday and came back positive for the bacteria.
Family of North Lake College Murder Victim Still Seeking Answers Officials will notify residents when it is safe to consume the water and boiling is no longer needed.
If you have questions regarding this matter, you may contact Water Customer Relations at 817-392-4477.