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Disposal system planning

Planning and conservation  ›  Managing garbage and recycling  ›  Disposal system planning

Learn more about the region's disposal system and its history. Download reports about regional transfer capacity, wet waste allocation, landfill history and the impact of self-haul customers.

Impact of self-haul customers on the regional solid waste system

Solid waste facilities are serving increasing numbers of customers, and many of these customers - even though they subscribe to curbside collection service - are occasionally choosing to "self-haul" their waste to a regional facility.

The solid waste system in the metro region has undergone significant change in the past two decades. The amount of recycling in the region has increased, but so has the amount of waste generated. More national waste companies have entered the local market and many of them are vertically integrated, owning and operating both hauling operations and recycling and waste transfer facilities. Metro and local governments have raised the bar on recycling requirements for solid waste facilities, and many facilities have retrofitted or changed their operations to meet higher recovery goals. Metro also recently legislated new mandates for regional business recycling and construction/demolition and other dry waste processing. Download the report

Disposal system planning: phase 1

The Disposal System Planning Project (DSP) is a component of the 2005-06 Regional Solid Waste Management Plan update. This DSP Phase 1 report documents a systematic evaluation of transfer station ownership options: publicly-owned, privately-owned, or a mix of the two. The study, conducted by CH2M Hill in association with Ecodata, Inc., uses a multi-attribute value modeling approach to evaluate each of the three ownership alternatives against a fixed set of criteria provided by the Metro Council. The study includes analyses of economic, non-economic, and risk factors for each ownership alternative. Download the report

Regional transfer capacity analysis report

The Regional transfer capacity analysis report addresses the question of how much capacity the region’s solid waste facilities have to accept and load waste for transport to disposal sites serving the region. The focus of the study is on the estimated capacity to transfer "wet" or putrescible waste. Therefore, analysis is limited to those facilities that are permitted to accept wet waste. The study is based on the current level of development of each facility, including fixed equipment. The analysis also includes an estimate of the future need for solid waste transfer capacity, based on Metro’s solid waste tonnage forecasts.Download the report

Wet waste allocation study

Metro places limits on the amount of putrescible ("wet") waste that may be managed by privately-owned transfer stations that are subject to regulation by Metro. On Dec. 31, 2008, all but one of Metro's wet-waste regulatory instruments expired. The various tonnage limits must be reconfirmed or revised before these regulatory instruments (franchises and licenses) can be renewed. 

The Waste Allocation Study was launched in early 2008 to determine how much waste should be authorized in the new franchises, and what additional regulatory requirements are needed to meet the public interest.In the first phase of the project, Metro staff worked with the Metro Council and other stakeholders to develop a consensus on the policy objectives that the allocations should serve. The second phase was devoted to evaluating options that meet the policy objectives; and making recommendations to Metro Council. This report documents that analysis, the findings, and recommendations. Download the report

Regional Solid Waste System Sustainable Operations Work Plan

This plan is intended to further the implementation of sustainable practices in the region's solid waste system. Its target audience: public and private sector solid waste service providers. Its contents: 13 opportunities for implementing sustainable practices in operational and administrative settings.

Landfill history

Metro’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department mapped and collected basic information on known landfills in or near the Metro region that have closed since 1960. The purpose of this project is to provide information that may be useful in protecting public health, safety, the environment, and may also be useful to the land use planning process.

The nature of the waste generated and disposed in the Metro region has changed greatly over the years.  The document below (Our landfill legacy) compiles information about all known landfill sites in the region closed since 1960.  Research was based on published reports, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Clackamas County file reviews, archives from Metro and the City of Portland and personal communications. Download the report

Need assistance?

Paul Ehinger
503-797-1789
paul.ehinger@oregonmetro.gov

Download the documents

Files that are downloadable from this page

• Impact of self-haul customers on the regional solid waste system 2.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published January 20, 2009
• Disposal System Planning Report: Phase 1 1.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published July 26, 2006
• Metro Transportation Study White Paper 721K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published May 7, 2007
• Regional transfer capacity report 2.8M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published May 10, 2004
• Wet waste allocation study 494K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published January 21, 2009
• 2008-09 Regional Solid Waste System Sustainable Operations Work Plan 981K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published February 5, 2009
• Landfill history 1.4M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published March 15, 2004