Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is following the proposed China ban of post-consumer plastics and unsorted paper closely and is engaged in ongoing conversations with local governments, collectors, processors and industry representatives. Given the major market disruption this is causing, DEQ and its partners are preparing for different possibilities and developing strategies to maintain recycling collection and processing where possible as we update those systems to recycle more effectively in the future. 
 
Maintaining and protecting the environment are part of Oregon’s identity, and DEQ is committed to protecting the integrity of Oregon’s reuse and recycling systems. During this uncertainty, the state will experience short-term challenges, and DEQ will continue to encourage recycling as much as possible. These challenges also present an opportunity to develop long-term plans to strengthen local processing capacity, identify and grow new markets, reduce contamination and deepen partnerships.

 

DEQ will continue to closely monitor this issue and will release information as it becomes available.

 

You can follow DEQ's updates on recycling markets here.