Recycling
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Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns over homelessness, drugs
The Senate Bill 992, which amends the trailblazing "bottle bill" in 1971, passed the Oregon state House Wednesday with broad bipartisan support, 48-4.

Oregon weighs curbing late-night bottle returns amid drug and homelessness concerns
State lawmakers want redemption sites to close at 8 p.m. and use mobile drop-offs after complaints of nighttime drug deals, litter and homeless camps, but people who rely on refunds object.

Recycling system overhaul bill clears Washington Senate
The legislation aims to expand recycling statewide and to have producers of packaging and other materials cover more of the cost.

Oregon regulators iron out details of recycling overhaul that launches next year
Oregon is on track to become the first state to launch a recycling program that holds producers accountable for their product packaging.

Think Out Loud
Lane County’s advanced recycling facility aims to generate renewable energy and lower landfill use
Lane County signed a contract with Eugene-based Bulk Handling Systems to create a state-of-the-art recycling center unlike any other in Oregon. It will sort garbage and comingled recycling and produce methane from the organic waste, generating renewable natural gas. According to the county, it will be “the most technologically advanced waste processing facility in the country.”

Think Out Loud
Oregon sustainability pioneers push refillable glass bottles for beer and wine
When it comes to reducing consumer impact on the climate, reuse is orders of magnitude more effective than recycling. Two businesses are showing the way by way of refillable and reusable beer and wine glass bottles.
Local organizations hope to bring mobile recycling bus to Eugene, Springfield
Many of the people most dependent on income from redeeming bottles and cans struggle to get those items to the places where they can turn them in for money. A new project in Eugene will bring a mobile bottle drop to the people and places it's needed most.

Portland garbage haulers to offer curbside battery recycling service
The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has launched a curbside battery recycling service to help avert battery-caused fires in trucks and recycling centers.

Buying a mattress in Oregon? That could soon come with an extra fee
The fees will fund Oregon's new mattress recycling program, which could launch as soon as this summer.

How Oregon’s Bottle Bill does — or doesn’t — play into the state’s drug crisis
A group of business owners and residents in Portland is pushing for the Oregon Legislature to reconsider the cash refunds offered for recycling beverage containers.