Solid waste and recycling system overview

Planning and conservation › Managing garbage and recycling › Solid waste and recycling system overview

Metro is responsible for planning and managing the recycling and disposal of solid waste generated in the region.

The Regional Solid Waste Management Plan (RSWMP) guides Metro’s solid waste planning and recycling efforts. Metro works with local governments to promote increased recycling and recovery in the region. Metro is the wasteshed representative to the state for the region and is responsible for ensuring that the region meets its designated recovery goals of 62 percent by the end of 2005 and 64 percent by the end 2009. In 2001, the recovery rate for the region was 55 percent.

Metro is also responsible for ensuring proper disposal of solid waste collected and delivered to the region’s solid waste facilities and provides hazardous wastes facilities and services for Metro area households. Part of the tipping fee paid to dispose of garbage is used to fund recycling programs, recycling education and provide household hazardous waste services.

Local governments are responsible for regulating and managing solid waste and recycling collection within their jurisdictional boundaries- including setting franchise boundaries, reviewing and collection rates and service standards. Local governments are also responsible for implementing waste reduction and recycling programs for residents and businesses in compliance with the state “Opportunity to Recycle” law as set forth in OAR Chapter 340, Division 90. Local governments work cooperatively with Metro to implement the Regional Solid Waste Management Plan (RSWMP) and to plan the region’s waste reduction and recycling programs with the goal of maximizing recovery and regional program continuity.

Collection and processing of metro region waste

The solid waste and recycling collection system in the metro region (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties) has several different components including the collection, transfer and processing of solid waste and recyclables. The services and facilities that support the tri-county area are outlined below according to the following categories:

Solid waste collection
Recycling collection
Transfer, processing and recovery facilities

Solid waste collection

Solid waste collection in the metro region (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties) is provided solely by private haulers; however, jurisdictions handle collection differently. With the exception of the City of Portland’s commercial sector, all of the metro region jurisdictions have a franchised collection system, which means that the jurisdiction is divided into zones, with one hauler serving all residences, multi-family properties and businesses in each zone. The jurisdiction is responsible for setting rates, franchise boundaries, service levels and implementing waste reduction and recycling programs.

Recycling collection

All jurisdictions have weekly curbside collection of recyclables on the same day as garbage service. Haulers are required to offer recycling services to households and businesses and provide appropriate outdoor containers to all generators that want to recycle. With the exception of Portland, which requires businesses to recycle 50 percent of their waste, it is up to the generator to participate. All rates include the collection of recyclables.

The solid waste and recycling collection services for residential and commercial sectors are detailed below.

Residential
Residential garbage and recycling service is franchised in all jurisdictions in the metro region. Each city is responsible for their own hauler franchising, while the counties administer franchises in the unincorporated areas... Find your hauler.

Commercial
Except for the City of Portland, commercial garbage and recycling service is franchised in all jurisdictions in the metro region.

Portland’s commercial recycling collection system is not franchised. The commercial sector has an open and competitive garbage and recycling collection system that allows commercial customers to choose among 64 permitted haulers in the city and negotiate rates for service. Portland garbage haulers are required to offer recycling collection for the most common recyclables. There are also independent recyclers that specialize in various recyclables. The City of Portland is the only city in the metro region that has mandatory recycling requirements for the commercial and construction and demolition waste streams.

Transfer, processing and recovery

A number of facilities make up the region’s solid waste and recycling system. Some handle mixed waste, while others act as processors for specific kinds of materials that can be recycled.

Most solid waste and recycling facilities are privately owned. Only Metro South and Metro Central transfer stations are publicly owned. The facilities that transfer and process solid waste and recycling are detailed below.

Transfer station services
Transfer stations are facilities that accept the waste from haulers and transfer the waste to tractor trailers for delivery to landfills. Waste that is delivered to the transfer stations is sorted by employees to remove recyclable material. Materials are sorted by type and marketed as individual commodities locally, nationally and internationally. Waste is transferred from the Metro transfer stations to the Columbia Ridge Landfill, which is a general-purpose landfill located in Arlington, Ore., owned and operated by Waste Management.

Material recovery facilities
Material recovery facilities (or MRFs) are sorting facilities that receive household and business source-separated recyclables. Materials are sorted by type and marketed as individual commodities locally, nationally and internationally. Approximately 95 percent of a load taken to a MRF is recovered for recycling.

Mixed dry-waste processing facilities
Mixed dry-waste facilities accept loads of mixed dry waste (paper, wood, metal, glass) for processing. Dry waste does not include food or other putrescible waste. Mixed construction and demolition debris is accepted at mixed dry-waste processing facilities that sort materials for recycling. On average, 25 to 30 percent of mixed dry waste loads are recovered for recycling. There are four facilities in the region that accept mixed dry waste. Some facilities accept both source-separated recyclables and dry waste.

Household hazardous waste facilities
There are currently two permanent household hazardous waste facilities in the metro region, located at the Metro South and Metro Central transfer stations. Residents can bring unwanted hazardous household products such as such as pesticides, leftover paint, solvents and automotive fluids to one of Metro's hazardous waste facilities. Call Metro at 503-234-3000 for information on the disposal of business-generated hazardous waste to find out what is accepted at the hazardous waste facilities.

Files and related materials

Files that are downloadable from this page

2006-07 solid waste and recycling annual report 554K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published January 31, 2008

To view PDF files, download free Adobe Reader. To translate PDF files into text to assist visually-impaired users, visit Access.Adobe.com.

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