Oregon is about to make recycling history.
On July 1, 2025, Oregon will become the first state in the nation to implement an extended producer responsibility law for packaging, paper products and food serviceware. This type of law makes brands more responsible for the products they make - from the time they’re sold to the time they’re ready for the garbage or recycling bin.
The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act - often shortened to the Recycling Modernization Act - is a significant milestone for Oregon. It will require brands to pay into the recycling system and ensure that their products are recycled responsibly, all while improving recycling services across the state.
You can read all the details on this law and what it means for Oregon below. First, let’s dig into some local recycling updates.
What goes in the recycling bin
For now, recycling will stay mostly the same for people in greater Portland. But there will be some changes to what you can put in your home and work recycling bins beginning July 1:
- Plastic screw-on caps are allowed as long as they are securely screwed onto plastic bottles, jars, buckets and jugs. Loose caps go in the garbage. Note: screw-on caps are not the same as lids. The lids that press onto plastic containers still go in the garbage.
- Pizza boxes are allowed as long as there are no leftover food scraps and grease residue is minimal. Paper liners from pizza boxes go in the garbage.
- Paperback books are allowed, though we recommend donating them instead!
- Plastic bottles, tubs, round containers and jugs must be at least 2 inches by 2 inches in size.
- Scrap metal must be less than 18 inches long and weigh less than 10 pounds.
For the most up to date information on how to recycle at home and at work, refer to your local city or county recycling guides. You can also Ask Metro. Call 503-234-300 or ask your question online.
Improving the way Oregon recycles
Recycling may be second nature to many people living in greater Portland, but the reality is that access to recycling is not consistent across Oregon. Some communities have robust recycling services, while other communities lack access altogether. There are also inconsistencies around what can be recycled.
The Recycling Modernization Act will improve access to recycling throughout the state. New recycling drop-off locations will be established, and existing facilities will be upgraded. Additionally, a new statewide recycling list will be put into place to standardize what can be recycled in Oregon, helping to eliminate confusion around what’s recyclable and what’s garbage.
Breaking down extended producer responsibility
Extended producer responsibility laws make brands more accountable for the full lifecycle of the products that they make and sell.
While these types of laws have been in place in Oregon for decades (like Oregon E-Cycles for recycling electronics), the Recycling Modernization Act is the first in the nation to set requirements for the brands that make and sell packaging, paper products and food serviceware. This is a big deal. These materials make up a lot of what people recycle at home and at work. Plus, with the popularity of online shopping and dining out - along with the steady rise in plastic products and single-use materials - these materials are becoming a common part of people’s lives, leading to more and more waste that can feel unavoidable.
Now, the brands that make these materials will be brought into Oregon’s recycling system as partners – requiring them to share recycling costs alongside local governments, recycling facilities, and people who pay garbage and recycling fees. Brands will pay fees based on the type and quantity of materials they use for their products. With time, this should incentivize brands to cut down on wasteful packaging to avoid higher fees.
Similar extended producer responsibility laws for packaging materials have already gone into effect in Canada and several countries in Europe. Now, Oregon will lead the way in the United States. Several other states have begun the process to implement laws of their own and will soon follow Oregon – including California, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Washington and Minnesota.
A producer responsibility organization will be tasked with making sure that brands are meeting the requirements set forth by the law. This includes paying fees for the materials they make and sell as well as ensuring that materials are recycled responsibly. Circular Action Alliance is the producer responsibility organization that was selected to implement these requirements in Oregon.
The waste from paper and plastic packaging materials can feel unavoidable. The new law aims to incentivize brands to find less wasteful solutions by requiring them to pay fees based on the type and quantity of materials they use to package their products.
Recycling responsibly
In addition to having brands help fund the recycling system, the Recycling Modernization Act requires brands to ensure that recyclable materials are actually getting recycled, and that the recycling process is beneficial to people and the environment. To talk about this, it might be helpful to have a little refresher on how the recycling system works.
After you put something into the recycling bin, it gets collected and taken to a recycling facility. At the facility, it will be sorted and then sold and transported to an end market. End markets refer to the businesses that buy recyclable materials and make them into something new.
Until 2018, a lot of recyclable materials from the U.S. went to end markets overseas in China. This changed when China stopped accepting certain materials from the U.S. and Europe due to air and water pollution concerns. This prompted Oregon to reconsider how and where it sent recyclable materials.
When materials are sent to end markets without strong environmental controls, there can be negative impacts that outweigh the actual benefits of recycling. Similarly, it’s important to consider whether there are impacts to the communities that receive the recyclable materials. If the recycling process for a certain material requires a significant amount of water, for example, it would not be responsible to send that material to a community facing water insecurity or drought.
Ultimately, this is one of the reasons why some recyclable materials aren’t accepted for recycling in Oregon – if the negative impacts to recycle them outweigh the positives, it simply isn’t worth it. (Another reason Oregon may choose not to accept something for recycling is if there simply isn’t an end market for that material – just because something can be recycled, doesn’t mean there’s a market for it.)
With the Recycling Modernization Act, brands will be required to ensure that recyclable materials go to end markets with proven environmental and social benefits. There will also be stronger material tracking and data collection requirements so that we know where recyclable materials go after being collected.
Looking ahead
The Recycling Modernization Act will not change recycling overnight. Oregon Legislature passed the law in 2021, and it’s taken a lot of work to get the state ready for it to take effect on July 1, 2025. It’s going to take several more years to implement all aspects of the law, with some elements expected to begin in 2026 or later.
Over the next few years, many improvements will happen behind the scenes – like upgrades to recycling facilities and expanded recycling access in rural parts of Oregon. As more recycling drop-off locations become available, there will be options for dropping off even more items for recycling.
Although it will take time for greater Portland to see significant changes, there’s a lot to look forward to. In just a few years, there will be places for people to drop off additional packaging materials for recycling. Some drop-off locations will accept block Styrofoam while others will take materials like plastic film, buckets and lids.
While the law takes effect and improvements are made, Metro, city and county governments will continue to work with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Circular Action Alliance to make sure the Recycling Modernization Act serves our region.