Sustainable Materials Management

As sustainable materials management professionals, we understand the import role consumption plays in reducing impacts on our climate. 
If you've been to an in-person AOR event, you know that we prioritize low-carbon food by offering meals that are vegetarian and vegan forward. Why? Because what we put on our plates is just as important in reducing the effects of climate change as what we put in our shopping carts. 

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, Region 10 has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) from eligible entities to improve community health, resilience, and/or sustainability through pollution prevention and/or sustainable materials management implementation. 

What is Community Based Social Marketing?  
To date, most programs to promote behavior change have relied upon disseminating information. Research demonstrates, however, that simply providing information has little or no effect on what individuals or businesses do. But if not ads, brochures or booklets, then what? Community-based social marketing has emerged as an effective alternative for fostering behaviors that protect the environment and promote health and safety. 

The US EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR) is happy to announce that the SMM Prioritization Tools are now available for use. They can be found on the EPA’s website at https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-prioritization-tools.

According to new research by Trivium Packaging, nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. The report, developed in partnership with Boston Consulting Group, surveyed participants for their preferences related to sustainable packaging along with their willingness to pay more for products with environmentally friendly packaging.

The Recycling Steering Committee is meeting on Friday, January 17 to review preliminary results of collection infrastructure research and guide the next steps for analysis; follow up on equity discussions from the 12/17 meeting; and do final preparations for the 1/31 Information Session. The meeting agenda includes:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is awarding up to $600,000 in grants for projects that promote