Grocery shopping is getting an upgrade in Portland, OR! 

Starting in January, 2023, it will be possible to buy and use a product, and then drop it off to be sanitized and refilled for a future customer. Instead of consuming energy by recycling and using raw materials to create new packaging, bottles and jars will simply stay in use.

As of July 1, nine franchised haulers operating Washington County, eight of which operate in unincorporated Washington County, have started offering Recycle+, a new optional collection service for collection curbside not accepted in standard recycling. Below is a list of materials accepted. Visit the Recycle+ site to sign up and learn more about the program!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality seeks to engage with stakeholders to identify and analyze options for modernizing Oregon’s E-Cycles Program through legislation to be introduced in 2023. DEQ invites interested parties to join in two virtual stakeholder workshops to help modernize Oregon’s E-cycles program. The workshops will be held via Zoom on July 13, 2022 from 9-11am PST and August 10, 2022 from 9-11am PST.

Did you know that the BottleDrop network is always expanding and adding new drop locations for your Green and Blue Bags? You can stay up-to-date on the most convenient options near you by viewing the location finder on our website. Just type your zip code in the search box and select “Drop Green or Blue Bags” from the menu, then click “Find Locations.”

You can also view a convenient location finder in our recently updated mobile app. If you haven’t yet downloaded the app, just search for “BottleDrop” in the App Store or on Google Play.

Oregonians have partnered with the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) to raise more than $125,508 in donated bottles and cans over the last three weeks to support Ukrainians in crisis through Oregon’s Bottle Bill.

A total of $75,508 came from residents donating OR 10-cent bottles and cans, and the rest was matched by the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC). The funds will go to Mercy Corps’ relief efforts on the ground in Ukraine. 

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. 

Oregon DEQ is an AOR member and sponsor of Sustainable Oregon 2021, AOR's virtual annual conference.

Oregon DEQ has released a new analytical tool to help Oregon's sustainability workers and activists quantify the effects of waste management activities like recycling.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized 33 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners for achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals, as part of Pollution Prevention Week. This is the 7th annual Safer Choice Partner of the Year awards. Included in this year’s awards are four winners in Oregon.  

"On Aug.

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.