Industrial-sized plastic bags filled with beverage containers are piling up in several Plaid Pantry stores in Portland’s inner core, revealing a troubling issue surrounding bottle redemption in the area.
Portlanders are spilling onto the sales floors with bags of cans and bottles they redeem for 10 cents each, which they often use to meet immediate financial needs, including purchasing drugs, claims Jonathan Polonsky, CEO of Plaid Pantry.
Fentanyl vapors hang in the air, creating an unwelcoming environment for potential customers, while neighboring residents voice their complaints about the situation.
“There’s nothing sexy about taking back other people’s bottles and cans,” Polonsky stated. “It’s a dirty, nasty thing.”
Issues surrounding bottle redemption are expected to shift significantly with the recent passage of Senate Bill 992, which awaits the governor’s signature.
Under the new regulations, grocery store redemptions in Portland’s inner core will be limited to 8 p.m., while convenience stores, classified as those smaller than 5,000 square feet, must cease redemptions by 6 p.m. These stores will only be required to accept 24 containers per person trip.
Polonsky has expressed his support for these changes, which would ease the burden of accepting bottle returns as some grocery stores will now be allowed to use specially marked “green bags,” which would be collected for counting elsewhere, instead of counting individual glass and plastic containers.
This new system may deter some drug users who prefer immediate cash returns, complicating their relationship with redemption sites.
Notably, the bill also permits some grocery stores in the inner core to opt out of bottle redemption altogether, provided they contribute to a system that funds alternative redemption locations in nearby areas.
Polonsky points out this legislation could redirect drug users away from grocery stores altogether and funnel them toward Plaid Pantry stores instead.
One of Plaid Pantry’s busiest redemption locations, situated at Southwest First Avenue and Lincoln Street near Portland State University, often sees a line of “canners” waiting to redeem their bottles and cans. During a recent visit, Russell Pederson, who is 44 and homeless, spoke about his daily routine of redeeming containers for cash.
Pederson mentioned he regularly visits multiple Plaid Pantry stores to accumulate around $20 a day from his collectibles, a lifeline for fulfilling his basic needs, which includes purchasing drugs to manage pain from past injuries.
“Why make it your business?” he responded to people who critique his lifestyle, highlighting the complexity of social perceptions surrounding drug use and economic necessity.
Under the new regulations of Senate Bill 992, Pederson fears he will have to double his visits to Plaid Pantry locations, increasing his trips to eight just to secure the same amount of cash, as alternative redemption sites, like The People’s Depot, have limited operating hours.
Polonsky emphasized that the practice of many convenience stores refusing to redeem containers is widespread, noting Plaid Pantry stores accept a significant majority of the beverage containers in downtown Portland.
In a survey conducted by The Oregonian/OregonLive, approximately 70% of convenience stores contacted reported that they don’t redeem cans and bottles at all, a challenge for individuals seeking redemption options.
Polonsky has estimated that four of his Plaid Pantry locations accounted for 63% of the cans and bottles redeemed in downtown last year.
While customers and local residents have raised concerns, Polonsky insists there is little enforcement regarding compliance with redemption regulations.
The state’s Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, responsible for enforcing the Bottle Bill, reported receiving over 680 complaints about redemption locations statewide, conducting 67 compliance checks, and issuing only five fines amounting to a maximum of $500 each, none of which affected the downtown area.
As concerns rise, Polonsky acknowledges he faces criticism from certain residents.
“People living in condos around my stores think I’m the bad guy,” he explains. “I can give you letters saying, ‘Why do you keep taking back bottles and cans? All these people are loitering in front of your stores.’ My response is, ‘It’s the law.’”
Sen. Janeen Sollman, a chief supporter of Senate Bill 992, claims the bill seeks to address the concerns of convenience stores while maintaining accessible redemption sites for community members.
During her observations, she noted hard-working individuals relying on stores like Plaid Pantry to redeem containers without needing transportation.
Supporters of Oregon’s long-standing Bottle Bill assert its role in promoting environmental sustainability, pointing to the billions of containers diverted from waste streams annually.
however, opinions on solving the associated social issues vary, with some suggesting increased policing and improved services for drug addiction as a better approach compared to revising the state’s cash-for-cans law.
Polonsky mentions that the problems stemming from bottle redemption affecting drug addiction are limited to a small percentage of his total stores in Oregon.
Just last year, the situation reached a critical point in downtown Portland, prompting Governor Tina Kotek to impose a two-month freeze on redemptions at the Plaid Pantry and Safeway on Southwest Jefferson Street, although the issues resurfaced once the freeze lifted.
In response, Polonsky adjusted his store hours, closing the Jefferson Street location at night to cope with the environment.
Nevertheless, he regularly encounters loitering around his store, which once thrived, now struggling to profit.
Polonsky lamented, “Now, it barely makes money. It’s at the bottom.”
He acknowledged the detrimental effect on business when individuals perceived as undesirable linger outside the store, discouraging potential paying customers, including families.
Ultimately, the concerns surrounding Senate Bill 992 and its implications on bottle redemption in Portland continue to unfold as stakeholders on all sides weigh in on this complex issue.
image source from：https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/05/fentanyl-use-drug-deals-cluster-around-a-few-portland-plaid-pantry-stores-chains-boss-worries-itll-get-worse.html
