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CALENDAR PLANNING AND CONSERVATION › MANAGING GARBAGE AND RECYCLING › HOW MUCH ARE WE RECYCLING? DISPOSAL SY
PLACES AND ACTIVITIES Find statistics about waste that is recycled and landfilled from the metro REGIONAL SO
MANAGEMEN
GARBAGE AND RECYCLING region. These data are collected annually by the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality. SOLID WASTE
SUSTAINABLE LIVING SYSTEM OVE
In 2008 (the most recent data available), 56.8 percent of the waste generated in the Metro
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION HOW MUCH A
region was recovered or prevented (down from 55.1 percent in 2007). The Metro region has a
PLANNING AND POLICY NEWS recovery goal of 64 percent by 2009. ST. JOHNS LA
GRANTS The region recycled and disposed of less in 2008 than the previous year, both total and per
JOBS AT METRO
capita in this recession year. Total generation was down 9.8 percent. Per capita generation fell
11 percent to 1.51 tons.
VOLUNTEER
Twenty materials experienced decreased recovery, with the leaders being wood (-69,103 tons)
DOING BUSINESS
scrap metal (-17,104 tons), corrugated cardboard (-9,768 tons) and glass containers (-5,393
NEWS tons). Recovery of ten materials increased, collecting 21,000 more tons in 2008 over 2007. The
materials registering the largest gains in 2008 were yard debris (7,247 tons; a combination of
ABOUT METRO brush, grass and leaves), food (4,845 tons), paper fiber (2,891 tons); a combination of
newspaper, high grade paper and other bleached paper) and tires (2,4983 tons).
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How will we reach 64 percent?
Metro, local governments and the solid waste industry are focusing staff and financial resources
Metro on three sectors where the most opportunity for increased recovery remain: organics (food
from restaurants, grocery stores and food distributors), paper and containers from
503-797-1700 businesses, and construction and demolition waste. The Regional Solid Waste
503-797-1804 TDD Management Plan also includes strategies for increasing recovery from residential curbside and
503-797-1797 fax multi-family recycling.
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Metro: How much are we recycling? http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24920
Business recycling
Businesses in the Portland metropolitan area recycled 75% of paper and containers in 2005.
However, more than 100,000 tons of recyclable resources (paper and containers) from
businesses are disposed annually. To reach the 64 percent goal, businesses must recycle
an additional 80,000 tons of paper and containers.
All businesses in the region have access to recycling service with their garbage collection.
The Metro Council did pass a policy of mandatory recycling of paper and containers for
businesses, which called for regional adoption by local governments. The effect of this
policy will not be felt the latter half of 2009.This policy implementation is equivalent to a 90
percent recycling rate for these materials, or the 80,000 tons of paper and containers.
Since 2000, Metro has invested over $4.1 million in on-site recycling specialists to provide
free recycling assistance to area businesses through the Recycle at Work initiative.
Recycle at Work
More than 97,000 desk side and central recycling containers have been distributed to
businesses throughout the region since 2003 by the Recycle at Work staff.
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Residential recycling
In 2008, curbside recycling increased 6 percent. Over 2,000 more tons of paper and containers
and 12,000 tons of yard debris were collected in 2008 than in 2007. By the end of 2008, more
than 90 percent of local jurisdictions in the region had replaced their two-bin recycling
systems with wheeled carts to capture almost 78 percent of commingled recyclables
from curbside programs, which was up from 66 percent in 2005, on average. For more
information about residential programs, contact your local government solid waste and recycling
agency.
For more information about the DEQ annual waste recovery report, contact Marylou Perry at
503-229-5731 or 1-800-452-4011, ext. 5731.
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