Legislation

Summary

Rulemaking must be conducted to clarify and implement the Mattress Stewardship Act of 2022 (SB1576). The Act requires mattress producers to join a stewardship organization with an approved plan to develop, implement and administer a statewide program for the financing, collection and environmentally sound management of discarded mattresses in the state of Oregon. This rulemaking is necessary to ensure successful implementation of the Act, including establishment of an annual fee to cover DEQ's costs to administer, implement and enforce the 2022 Act.

Summary

DEQ proposes the Environmental Quality Commission approve rule amendments to OAR 340 Divisions 64, 93, 96 and 97 of its administrative rules. 

Waste tire rules are currently in Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340, Division 64. Division 64 was established by the Environmental Quality Commission in 1988 to support waste tire management. The rules have only been modified once since they were first adopted, in 1992, to incorporate a slight modification to the waste tire carrier rules.

DEQ developed in-depth explanatory materials to help people understand the Recycling Modernization Act and how different businesses, organizations and communities may be affected when the law is implemented. The law becomes effective January 1, 2022 and program changes begin July 2025. 

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A new law in Oregon will update the state’s recycling systems to make recycling easier and more reliable, expand access to services and upgrade the facilities that sort recyclables. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (Senate Bill 582), signed Aug. 6 by Gov. Kate Brown, will also ensure collected materials are recycled responsibly, and reduce social and environmental harms, such as plastic pollution. 

The Democratic-led Maine Legislature has endorsed a first-in-the-nation bill that would shift some recycling and waste disposal costs from local taxpayers to producers of hard-to-recycle packaging materials.

The bill, from Rep. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, is backed by environmental interests and the cities and towns that would draw from a new fund to bolster recycling programs, but business groups argue that it will increase the costs of essential goods, including groceries.

March 19th was the deadline for bills to be submitted during Oregon’s 2021 Legislative Session.  Bills that are still “alive” will need to pass out of their committee of origin by the next deadline, which is April 13th.

A public hearing to consider additional amendments to the Plastic Pollution & Recycling Modernization Act (currently SB 582-1) has been scheduled for Thursday, April 8 at 1 pm.

Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Washington-based American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has issued a statement in support of the RECYCLE Act, proposed legislation introduced with bipartisan sponsors in both the United States Senate and House of Representatives.