The City of Portland will begin a recycling quality improvement pilot project this August to help residents avoid recycling mistakes that can harm workers, damage equipment, and increase costs. The pilot project will reach roughly one quarter of Portland’s single-family homes, selected at random.
Over the next several months, trained City contractors will review those randomly selected recycling carts set out at the curb in neighborhoods across the city and leave tags with feedback when they see common recycling mistakes.
The goal is to reduce items that don’t belong in recycling, sometimes called contamination. Things like plastic bags, food, and electronics can damage equipment, create safety hazards for workers, and increase processing costs.
“Most Portlanders want to recycle correctly, but recycling rules can be confusing,” said Eben Polk, Waste and Sustainable Materials Division Manager. “This project gives residents simple, direct feedback that helps keep problem materials out of the recycling stream.”
Residents may see City contractors in safety vests lifting recycling cart lids on collection day to check for items that don’t belong in recycling. Contractors will start early in the morning to avoid delaying collection trucks. If you’re up early, you might see them before sunrise. If issues are found, they will leave a tag on the cart explaining which items aren’t allowed in recycling.
The effort is designed to provide direct education at the curb, one of the most effective ways to improve recycling quality. Similar programs in Oregon and across the country have successfully reduced contamination in recycling systems. This project is funded through Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, which supports local programs that improve recycling safety, quality, and education.
Residents can help by following a few key recycling tips
Never put these items in your blue recycling cart:
- Plastic bags or stretchy plastic
- Batteries or electronics
- Hoses, cords, or wires
Prepare recycling correctly:
- Keep recyclables loose (do not bag them)
- All items should be empty and dry before recycling
- Put glass in your separate glass bin
If you don’t have enough room in your garbage cart and trash is getting into your recycling, you can ask your garbage company for a larger cart.
Learn more
Find out which items should never go in your recycling bin, why they’re not allowed, and what to do with them at www.portland.gov/RecycleRight.