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Multifamily recycling: resident education

Garbage and recycling  ›  Recycle at home  ›  Multifamily recycling  ›  Resident education

People recycle more when recycling is simple. Learn about the straight-forward two-sort system and the items not to include.

How to get your new residents and staff up to speed quickly

Your local jurisdiction can provide posters or flyers with pictures of the two-sort system to make it easy for residents to know what they can and can't recycle. There are materials in various languages and people available to go door to door with literature or provide in-person presentations at resident or property manager meetings to answer questions – all for free. For more information, call 503-234-3000.

The two-sort system

People recycle more when recycling is simple. The two-sort system is designed to be straight-forward: glass in one bin, everything else in the other. When the system is effortless, people love to recycle.

The entire region now uses the two-sort system described below. Why? Because it saves you time and makes recycling easy for your residents.

Good to go: The two-sort system
	Put this stuff in one bin Metal cans, aluminum, plastic bottles and tubs, garden pots, buckets, cardboard (some haulers still require cardboard to be separated), newspaper and scrap paper (such as unwanted mail, egg cartons, cereal boxes and milk cartons), can be recycled.
	Put glass in the other Glass on the side, please. Why do we have to keep glass separate? Because when it breaks, it can damage the machinery used for recycling or injure the people who handle recyclables.
No-go: Stuff that can't be recycled
	Food-soiled paper such as take-out containers, pizza boxes, pet food bags and paper towels cannot be recycled.
	Frozen food boxes are coated with chemicals that repel water; they cannot be recycled.
	Ceramics, window glass and glass cookware cannot be recycled.
Stuff that can be recycled, but not in your bins
For more information, call Metro Recycling Information at 503-234-3000 or use the find a recycler tool... Find a recycler
	Plastic lids and caps can't be recycled on-site. They should go in your garbage containers, or you can take them to a recycling depot.
	Plastic bags can't go into recycling bins because they tangle the recycling machinery. However, they can be recycled at many grocery stores and recycling depots.
	Fluorescent light bulbs can and should be recycled because they contain mercury. They need to be delivered to a hazardous waste facility. It's free... Learn about household hazardous waste
	Plastic packaging such as clamshells from takeout restaurants and bubble wrap can be recycled, but not in your bins.
	Packing peanuts and block foam can be recycled at many places, including mailing centers.
	Motor oil can be recycled, but it must be taken to a depot... Learn about household hazardous waste

There are many other materials that cannot be recycled in the bins and shouldn't be thrown in the trash, because they can be reused or may be hazardous. Call 503-234-3000 or visit the find a recycler page for help with these materials... Find a recycler