The Oregon legislature passed a law in 2021 to simplify the way people recycle and update recycling infrastructure across the state. As part of the new law, recycling program rules in Portland changed yet again last month. So, what does Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act mean for Portland?
What Has Changed
The general goal of the Recycling Modernization Act is to update and expand recycling facilities, along with standardizing processes to create better habits. One of the biggest challenges of consistent recycling is how vastly the rules can change from place to place. The RMA eliminates some of that confusion by standardizing the list of items that can be recycled across the entire state.
You can check the city website for an updated list of recyclable items, or follow Recycle or Not on Instagram.
And with big changes come big price tags, so one of the ways the state is paying for infrastructure updates is what’s called an Extended Producer Responsibility Program. Under an EPR, big companies that produce packaging sold in Oregon — think Coca-Cola and Unilever — pay money into the program that is then used for things like expanded recycling access in rural areas and increased wages for workers. You've probably seen Oregon's other most famous EPR in the headlines recently: the Bottle Bill.
When the Changes Will Happen
Changes to recycling programs across Oregon went into effect July 1 and will continue to evolve over the next several years. According to the city website, upgrades to Portland’s recycling program will mostly happen behind the scenes for the first few years. Within a couple of years, Portland will also start launching recycling drop-off centers for big items and other things we are not currently able to recycle curbside — plastic bags, styrofoam, small camping propane canisters, etc.
Your pizza box is now invited to the recycle party. (Courtesy of Metro)
There are a few big changes that just went into effect, though: since this is a pizza town, Portlanders will be excited to know that mostly clean pizza boxes are now recyclable. Just make sure the box has minimal grease and no scraps inside of it — otherwise, it can still go into the compost. Screw-on plastic bottle caps are also allowed as of July 1 — no judgment if you had been leaving those on when recycling plastic bottles, that’s part of the confusion this program aims to reduce.
Listen to our full conversation with Metro's Waste Prevention outreach manager, Jennifer Powers, for more of what’s changing and other Portland recycling tips.
