Rhone Street Recycle Station
Recycling is one type of materials management. Under Oregon law, all cities with at least 4,000 people must provide recycling services. Oregon's recycling laws require local governments to implement recycling programs and, in some jurisdictions, waste prevention and reuse programs.
Oregon's base recycling law is the Opportunity to Recycle Act (Oregon Revised Statute 459A), which the Oregon Legislature most recently amended in 2015. DEQ elaborates on the Opportunity to Recycle Act in the agency's Recycling and Waste Reduction administrative rules. DEQ also regulates local governments' recycling, waste prevention, and reuse programs according to Materials Management in Oregon: 2050 Vision and Framework for Action, Oregon's State Integrated Resource and Solid Waste Management Plan. The 2050 Vision guides statewide policy for managing materials throughout their full life cycles, including recovery, reduction, reuse, and recycling.
The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act will update Oregon’s outdated recycling system by building on local community programs and leveraging the resources of producers to create an innovative system that works for everyone. The Oregon legislature passed the Recycling Modernization Act (Senate Bill 582) during the 2021 legislative session. The new law became effective Jan. 1, 2022 and recycling program changes will start in July 2025.
