If you’ve ever visited a friend in another city and had to ask, “Is this plastic bottle recyclable here?” then you’ll be glad to know that list is becoming standardized, at least in Oregon.
aims to make recycling easier and cheaper for both consumers and businesses.
Laura Leebrick from Rogue Disposal said recycling can be really confusing when rules vary from city to city.
“I want people to feel assured that what we are telling them is recyclable and can be put in there is actually going to be recycled," she said.
The goal, Leebrick said, is to make Oregon’s recyclable materials easier to sell to manufacturers overseas. The law also requires companies that make these materials to help pay for their recycling.
Waste management companies are still working on putting the necessary processes in place to accept the , she said.
“We don’t all have absolutely everything we need to effectively manage the new stream," Leebrick said. "But we’re going to do our best.”
She said new items, such as scrap metal, milk cartons and plastic nursery pots, will still be accepted while companies work out how to process them efficiently.
Customers should expect more information about the changes as they begin to roll out.
