Fred Meyer Bottle Return Explained

Fred Meyer Bottle Return Policy (Oregon Only)

Fred Meyer locations in Oregon have bottle return services; its stores in Washington, Idaho, and Alaska don’t offer bottle returns since those states don’t have “bottle bills.”^[1][2]

In Oregon, the bottle bill adds a charge of 10 cents to certain beverages at the time of purchase. You can get that 10 cents back when you return empty containers to a participating retailer (like Fred Meyer) for recycling.^[3]

Bottle return policies differ by state, so if you live outside of Oregon, it’s best to contact your local store for information about its limits, return hours, and payment options. You can also find information about your state’s bottle return program in the Container Recycling Institute’s Bottle Bill Resource Guide.

Return Hours & Process

Some Fred Meyer store locations have machines that will count your empty bottles for you; others accept returns by hand count only. Both services are available during regular store hours, which are usually 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.^[1][4]

At hand-count locations, a Fred Meyer employee will count your containers while you wait, calculate the amount of your refund, and pay you in cash. Bottle return machines allow you to insert containers one at a time and receive a ticket for your refund amount, which you can cash in at the customer service desk or a checkout lane.^[1]

Note that there’s a limit of containers returned per customer, per day; it varies by location but may be 24 or 144.^[4][2] If you have more than your store’s limit of containers to return, you should plan to spread your return out over multiple days.

Acceptable Containers

All containers must be made of glass, metal, or plastic but can be bottles, cans, or jars. The containers should also be empty and clean. You can return any of the following beverage types to Oregon’s bottle return locations:^[5]

• Aloe vera juice
• Beer and malt beverages
• Bottled water
• Coconut water
• Coffee
• Electrolyte replacements (like Pedialyte)
• Energy and sports drinks
• Flavored alcoholic beverages (like hard lemonade, hard cider of 8.5% ABV or less, and wine coolers)
• Fruit juice
• Kombucha
• Muscle Milk
• Non-alcoholic wine
• Ready-to-drink cocktail mixers (like margarita mix or bloody Mary mix)
• Soda and sparkling beverages
• Tea

Non-Returnable Containers

The following containers are not returnable at Oregon Fred Meyer stores:^[6]

• Canned cocktails
• Coffee creamers
• Juice concentrate
• Liquid meal replacements
• Liquor bottles
• Milk containers and milk substitutes (like formula)
• Syrups
• Wine bottles
• Non-beverage containers (like condiments and cooking oil)