Recycling Center

Recycling was in crisis. Source separation was in disarray. Mixing spoiling food with recyclables was widespread. The dumpsters were nasty and overflowing.

Consolidation to the rescue!

By moving the decentralized bins to a single location a quantum leap was achieved.

Now we're better able to accommodate needs and take new steps to reduce landfill volume.

We've still got a ways to go but moving forward.

Update at the end of January, 2025:

We finally got it together, making long promised signage with actual physical examples of representative items.

Now, the question remains, will these new signs actually make any difference?

Fingers crossed, yes.

But just in case, we plan educational outreach to the community to make sure every unit has set up a recycling center so household refuse can be collected separate from "garbage". This will be performed as part of an every-unit inspection where we check residents indoor recycling areas. If they don't have a recycling center yet set up, how would they be able to comply with recycling guidelines?

Unfortunately, despite laborious outreach from one of our hispanic residents, who met all our Hispanic families and explained the recycling process to them, as well as providing a new 1 gallon compost collection bucket for the kitchen, we still get way too much household garbage collected in large black plastic bags. The bags contain a really nasty mix of spoiled food, recycling, even Oregon deposit containers worth 10 cents each!

So many folks are not yet on board with this basic civic duty of all conscientious Portlanders, recycling.