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It does check the barcode, but a generic coke bottle could have been purchased in Washington and returned across the boarder for 10 cents.

That’s a valid bottle, but an abuse of the system because they are getting 10 cents from Oregon that was never paid. The point of the program is you pay 10 cents and get it back if you recycle.

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> The point of the program is you pay 10 cents and get it back if you recycle.

The point of program is to recycle bottles. Exchanging money is means to an end not an end itself.

And to reduce litter as well.

Someone paid those 10 cents, though... And then didn't return the bottle.

As long as returns are <100%, I don't think it matters who bought the bottle.

They didn't pay the 10 cents if they bought the bottle in a state with a smaller deposit.

Someone else did though, so the 10 cents is paid in full.

Well, sorta.

The cost is covered because many bottle deposits end up going unclaimed.

But nobody paid 10 cents for that bottle.

So who's being harmed? The point is to get bottles to be recycled and they're getting recycled.

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