In my previous role at Clackamas County, I once received a phone call from a woman who was very upset. The County had just sent a cease-and-desist letter to the subscription recycling service Ridwell, and she’d been informed by the company of her last collection date. The reason why has been played out in multiple county and city commissioner meetings, courtrooms, the press, and a previous Master Recycler newsletter , but this woman said something that has stuck with me.
She wanted to assure me she was a good recycler. She knew the rules, gathered items for local recycling events, and avoided purchasing items that could not go in her recycling bin. This was exactly why she was so excited to sign up for Ridwell: “Before, I would never let myself buy all those cookies and salads in clamshells, but now I can. Ridwell recycles them.”
Because she now had an avenue to recycle a certain product, she’d given herself permission to buy and consume more of it.
Unintended Consequences
In the Master Recycler class, we learn a product’s recyclability can be a poor indicator of how “good” it is for the environment. We explore how the greatest environmental impact from what we buy occurs before it arrives in our hands. Consider a clamshell: its creation requires oil extraction and refining, which results in water contamination and air pollution among many other negative environmental and social impacts (much of which is purposefully concentrated in poor neighborhoods and communities of color). Sometimes, the social, economic, and environmental costs of recycling a particular product can outweigh recycling’s benefits. These issues are some of many considered before an item is included on the “yes” list. We don’t just want to recycle, but recycle responsibly.
We also learn “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is in that order for a reason. As I was talking with the woman in Clackamas, I kept thinking how her choice to reduce her purchasing of clamshells was doing more environmental good than her recycling them. When I mentioned that, she paused, and the conversation changed.
Now not every item is avoidable, and the different lives we lead often dictate how much time and effort we can put into avoiding certain packaging. This is one reason why the Recycling Modernization Act will be so helpful by increasing responsible recycling, extending producer responsibility for the packaging they create, and creating a state-wide recycling list. However, I fear a growing “recycle everything” mentality, fed by the idea of recyclability as the primary indicator of a “green” product, is creating a feel-good environment for growing consumption.
I’m not against finding avenues for additional recycling, especially when the item is something unavoidable. I have concern when those additional recycling options are promoted over a reduce-and-reuse-first mentality. We cannot recycle our way out of our environmental woes.
More Communities Adding Special Recycling Services
All this being said, the demand for additional recycling services has increased, and I can’t fault anyone for desiring the convenience of having items picked up at home. (Many items in these services can be recycled for free at local drop-off centers.) In the last few months, Washington County has worked with their certificated garbage and recycling companies to offer the optional Recycle+ service to urban, unincorporated county and the cities of King City and North Plains (read more about this service below). Beaverton offered the Recycle+ program soon after. The accepted items in this program are based on interest from community, market availability, and environmental benefit.
Clackamas County is exploring a similar service offered through their franchised collectors, while Portland modified their code to allow Ridwell to operate within the city. James Recycling has also started a similar model in a few select Portland neighborhoods.
What’s important for Master Recyclers to know?
As Master Recyclers, you’re likely to have a curious neighbor or friend ask you about these subscription recycling services (you may even subscribe, and that’s okay). However, I encourage you to broaden the conversation in the following ways:
Remind people their goal should not be to recycle everything, but to reduce and reuse as much as possible (that’s where the greatest environmental benefits are!)
Stay up to date on local recycling collection events, such as through James Recycling or PlanetCon (run by Washington County Master Recyclers!)
Tell people about upcoming, exciting changes to Oregon’s recycling system through the Recycling Modernization Act
Let people know that while recycling is important, they can be even more sustainable by paying attention to how much food may be brought into the home and never eaten (and they can save money, too!)
New Recycling Services
As an alternative to Ridwell, cities and counties throughout the region have worked with their franchised/certificated garbage and recycling companies to offer a similar service. The conversation has also pushed forward battery collection at the curb in certain areas.
With so many new services, what’s available where?
City of Portland
In September of 2021, Portland City Council passed an exception to the franchise garbage and recycling system that allowed the collection of specialty-item convenience subscriptions such as Ridwell and James Recycling. Organizations that provide this service are only allowed if the space used for collecting materials has been permitted by Metro and the Oregon DEQ.
City of Gresham
Gresham’s City Council recently decided to allow Ridwell and other subscription recycling services to operate legally by expanding the city’s garbage and recycling franchise.
In addition, Gresham has added two exciting new programs. The first is a residential battery collection service for residential customers. This program is available now, curbside, at no additional cost.
The city also now has a free community compost cart for residents who want to drop off food scraps. While free, you still have to register online for the cart’s access code and instructions.
Washington County
Over the summer, Washington County worked with their certificated garbage and recycling companies to launch Recycle+. This is a subscription service through your current garbage and recycling company for residents in urban, unincorporated County and the cities of King City and North Plains. You can enter your address to see if Recycle+ is available where you live. They are also hoping to expand the service to apartments in the summer of 2023.
Recycle+ collects items based on public demand, available recycle markets, and the environmental benefit gained by recycling it. This includes stretchy plastic film/bags, clear plastic #1 clamshell containers, textiles, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Please visit Washington County’s Recycle+ webpage for more details, preparation instructions, cost, and how to sign up.
Curbside collection of batteries is also now available to residential customers in unincorporated Washington County and the cities of Tigard, Sherwood, King City, Durham, and North Plains as part of regular collection services. Visit the battery recycling webpage to learn more about what batteries are accepted and how to prepare your batteries for collection.
City of Beaverton
Beaverton just began offering Recycle+ on November 1st. This optional service is available to residential garbage and recycling collection customers. You can visit Beaverton’s Recycle+ webpage to learn more about what is accepted, costs, and how to sign up.
The city also added curbside collection of residential batteries available to Beaverton community members with curbside glass collection at no additional cost.
Clackamas County
The Board of Clackamas County Commissioners voted earlier this year to uphold the existing code language and directed staff to develop administrative rule amendments directing franchised collectors to offer the optional service for an additional fee (subject to fee and regulatory rules). The Board will make a decision on the optional program (and curbside battery collection) for unincorporated areas of the county in early 2023. Many cities within Clackamas County are waiting to see what happens at the county level before deciding what to do in their jurisdiction.