Recycling Legislation Overview with Association of Oregon Recyclers

You’re invited to join AOR for their virtual Legislative Preview on January 19th from 11-12:30pm. The event will be moderated by AOR’s Legislative Chair Rosalynn Greene and our lobbyist Chris Parta will provide his insights on how the session will be carried out in a virtual world and AOR’s legislative agenda. The event will also feature speakers that will be announced closer to the date. The event is free and everyone is encouraged to attend so save the date!

Here’s a brief overview of potential Oregon Legislation, much of which deals with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) which puts some of the financial burden of recycling on the producers rather than only on the public who pays for curbside recycling. Thank you to BRING Recycling of Eugene for this concise description:

• Carpet Recycling: Working with the Product Stewardship Institute, BRING is supporting legislation that would require producers to help pay for the cost of recycling carpet in Oregon.
• Mattress Recycling: A 2019 bill introduced by Senator James Manning Jr. to establish an EPR program for mattresses is likely to come back in 2021.
• Sharps: This legislation would design a program for the disposal of needles—a product that is difficult, dangerous, and expensive to deal with right now.
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): This bill would help fund disposal of common household products including pesticides, fertilizers, cleaners, and pool chemicals, which are also expensive and difficult to deal with.
• Right to Repair: OSPIRG is taking a lead on a bill that would make it legal for you to repair and modify electronic devices—something that is not always explicitly legal right now. (Read more about issues around Right to Repair here.)
• Modernizing Oregon’s Recycling System: If passed, this legislation would make significant changes to Oregon’s curbside recycling system, including adding some components of extended producer responsibility.