New Recycling Carts: How We Roll in Portland

You can sort less, recycle more than ever before, and set them at the curb less frequently, but Portland's new recycling and yard debris roll carts will never accept (unrecyclable) garbage items meant for the landfill.

Portland's curbside recycling program, administered by the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development in partnership with 23 garbage and recycling companies, delivered blue recycling and green yard debris roll carts to all Portland households between May and July. The roll carts replace the yellow bin recycling system that has been used for 16 years.

The City's curbside recycling hotline expected an increase in calls once delivery began. But given that Portlanders are considered to be expert recyclers, hotline staff was a little surprised at the number of calls about whether residents are supposed to put garbage in the shiny new roll carts.

"Portlanders want to know how to recycle the right way, and we're doing our best to remind everyone that 1) garbage collection service hasn't changed, 2) kitchen food scraps are not yet accepted in the green roll cart, and 3) by recycling more, residents can downsize their garbage container to reduce their collection bill," said Kyenne Williams, Solid Waste & Recycling customer service lead.

For a city that already does a great job recycling, changing to the blue recycling and green yard debris roll carts is expected to:
• increase residential recycling by as much 33 percent, for an additional 25,000 tons of recycling,
• prevent over 800 garbage trucks from making the trip to the landfill each year, and
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 10 percent - equivalent to keeping 35,000 cars off the road.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the new system:

Where do I put my garbage?
There is no change to garbage collection. Continue to put your garbage in your trash can (or hauler-provided garbage cart).

Now that I'm recycling more, my garbage can is half-full. How can I reduce my monthly collection bill?
By recycling more, some people may discover that they can opt for smaller garbage containers or switch to monthly service. Both would lower the collection bill. These services still offer the same yard debris and recycling options.

Can I put food waste in my green yard debris roll cart?
No, food scraps do not belong in the green cart - at least not yet. In a few years the City hopes to have a system in place that can compost food waste along with yard debris. For now, only yard debris goes into your green roll cart.

With the yellow bins, I could only recycle plastic bottles. Is it true that I can add more types of plastics than before?
Yes! Yogurt and margarine tubs, as well as plastic plant pots and buckets, are now acceptable in the blue recycling roll cart.

What do I do with my old yellow recycling bins or unwanted yard debris containers?
Use one of the old yellow bins for glass bottles and jars. Just like always, glass cannot be mixed with items in the blue recycling roll cart. To get rid of extra bins you no longer need or old plastic or metal yard debris containers, view a list of drop-off locations at www.portlandonline.com/osd/carts.

If I think the roll carts are too big for my needs, what are my options?
Some residents in town houses are choosing to share containers. Others, because they have yard maintenance service, haul their own yard clippings, or do not generate yard debris, have chosen not to have yard debris roll carts.

After 30 days, if the blue recycling roll cart is just too big, call your garbage and recycling company and request a smaller container. The 30-day-wait request is to give residents the opportunity to "test drive" the new carts. Many people find they really like the new system though they initially may have had concerns.

Still have questions?
Contact the garbage and recycling company listed on the side of your recycling or yard debris roll cart, or call the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development at 503-823-7202.

Founded in 2000, the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) brings together community partners to promote a healthy and prosperous future for Portland. OSD advances improvements and innovation in reducing global warming emissions, energy efficiency and renewable energy, biofuels, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable economic development, sustainable food systems and green building practices.