The Environmental Quality Commission adopts rules for the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act

The Environmental Quality Commission, the governing body for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, adopted rules to implement the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act at its meeting on Nov. 22, 2024. This update to Oregon’s recycling system will expand access to recycling services, upgrade the facilities that sort recyclables, and create environmental benefits while reducing social and environmental harms, such as plastic pollution. Producers and manufacturers of paper, packaging, and food serviceware will pay for many of these necessary improvements and help ensure recycling is successful in Oregon.

“Oregon has long been recognized as a leader in recycling,” said Leah Feldon, DEQ director. “The Recycling Modernization Act will make recycling easier for households and bring greater transparency and accountability to the system, so people and businesses know when they set something out for recycling it actually gets safely recycled.”

Implementation of the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act has been under development since the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 582 in 2021. This rulemaking clarifies requirements for producers and a new non-profit producer responsibility organization, local governments, and recycling processors. Highlights of the adopted rules include:

• Set performance standards for the facilities that sort Oregon’s recycling.
• Establish fees to support investments in Oregon’s recycling processing infrastructure.
• Set a fee to fund programs in Oregon's reuse economy, yielding even more environmental benefits than recycling.
• Define standards for evaluating the environmental impacts of paper, packaging, and food serviceware.
• Create a mechanism to lower fees for manufacturers that reduce the overall impacts of their products.

“The new rules set a solid foundation for important updates to Oregon’s recycling system,” said Cheryl Grabham, DEQ Materials Management Program manager. “Combined with many other milestones achieved, we are primed for a successful rolling launch to bring modern, convenient, responsible recycling to Oregon.”

For more information

See all materials presented to the commission on the DEQ website. To get the latest updates on the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, sign up for our email list through GovDelivery.