The Company

ORPET, Inc. is a joint venture between Merlin Plastics Supply, Inc., and Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative to operate a state-of-the-art PET recycling facility in Warren, Oregon.

PET is a common acronym for polyethylene teraphthalate which is the predominant material used in the construction of consumer packaging. ORPET receives baled PET from the eight regional collection facilities run and managed by OBRC and processes the material, converting it to washed PET flake that can be used in many applications.

In 2007, the Oregon State Legislature passed Senate Bill 707, updating the state’s historic 1972 Oregon Bottle Bill that instituted a deposit system for carbonated beverage containers sold in the state. This new bill extended the deposit to all water bottles.

Since water bottles are primarily made out of PET, the inclusion of water dramatically increased the amount of PET in the redemption stream.

Before the creation of ORPET, all redeemed plastic bottles in Oregon were baled, loaded in shipping containers and sent to Asia.