Many Happy Returns: 50 Years of the Oregon Bottle Bill

Governor Tom McCall and Secretary of State Clay Myers empty a bag of aluminum cans during the Bottle Bill campaign, 1971. OHS Research Library, Org Lot 353, box 2, folder 4.

Type: Current Exhibit,Traveling Exhibit Audience(s): Family-friendly, Researchers, Teachers, Free for MembersLocation: Portland

October 18 – November 8, 2021

  • Family-friendly
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
  • Free for Members
  • Hearing-impaired Friendly
  • Handicap Accessible Friendly

Location:
Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205
Get Directions

In 1971, Oregon became the first state in the nation to pass a Beverage Container Act to address a growing litter problem. The legislation, known today as the Bottle Bill, marked its 50th anniversary in 2021. The Bottle Bill has one of the most popular legacies of Oregon’s progressive environmental policies.

Many Happy Returns: 50 Years of the Oregon Bottle Bill is a traveling exhibit that consists of two, three-sided pop-up kiosks that highlight the environmental concerns of the 1960s and 1970s and the influence of this landmark legislation fifty years later. 

Book Many Happy Returns Today!

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Samuel S. Johnson Foundation, all OHS traveling exhibitions are free to rent through 2022 (usually $250 per month plus shipping).

Other rental details include:

Insurance: Coverage of $1,200 is required.

Shipping: Exhibition may be picked up and dropped off at the Oregon Historical Society or shipped by courier.

Size: Each kiosk is 6' 11" high and 3' 11" wide. One case measures 51" long, 31" wide, 10" deep.

Weight: Case weighs approximately 75 lbs. when full. Kiosks weigh 18 lbs when collapsed.

Download the one sheet for rental information.

Interested in booking Many Happy Returns? Please contact Tara Cole, Museum Services Coordinator, at 503.306.5223 or tara.cole@ohs.org for rental inquiries.

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