(1) A person providing the opportunity to recycle shall fulfill the requirements of subsection (3) of this section using the following recycling program elements:

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(a) Provision of at least one durable recycling container to each residential service customer.

(b) On-route collection at least once each week of source separated recyclable material from residential collection service customers, provided on the same day that solid waste is collected from each customer.

(c) An expanded education and promotion program as described in ORS § 459A.008.

(d) A multifamily collection program that includes:

(A) Collection of materials designated for recycling collection on the uniform statewide collection list established under ORS § 459A.914 from each multifamily dwelling complex that has five or more units; and

(B) Education and promotion directed to the residents of the multifamily dwelling complex.

(e) An effective residential yard debris collection and composting program that includes the promotion of home composting of yard debris, and that also includes either:

(A) Monthly or more frequent on-route collection of yard debris from residential collection service customers for production of compost or other marketable products; or

(B) A system of yard debris collection depots conveniently located and open to the public at least once a week.

(f) A commercial recycling program that includes:

(A) Weekly, or on a more appropriate regular schedule, onsite collection of source separated materials designated for recycling collection on the uniform statewide collection list established under ORS § 459A.914 from, at a minimum, commercial generators of solid waste employing 10 or more persons and occupying 1,000 square feet or more in a single location.

(B) An education and promotion program conducted to inform all commercial generators of solid waste of the manner and benefits of the commercial recycling program that provides effective promotion of the program to the generators.

(C) Other optional elements, including but not limited to waste assessments and recycling recognition programs. A city or county is encouraged to involve local business organizations in publicly recognizing outstanding recycling efforts by commercial generators of solid waste. The recognition may include awards designed to provide additional incentives to increase recycling efforts.

(D) Each commercial generator of solid waste shall strive to achieve 55 percent recovery from its solid waste stream by the year 2025.

(g) Expanded depots for recycling of at least all materials designated for collection at recycling depots on the uniform statewide collection list established under ORS § 459A.914, and provisions for promotion or education to maximize the use of the depots. The depots must:

(A) Have regular and convenient hours;

(B) Be open on the weekend days; and

(C) When feasible, collect additional recyclable materials.

(h) Solid waste residential collection rates that encourage waste reduction, reuse and recycling through reduced rates for smaller containers, including at least one rate for a container that is 21 gallons or less in size. Based on the average weight of solid waste disposed per container for containers of different sizes, the rate on a per pound disposed basis may not decrease with increasing size of containers, and the rates per container service may not be less with additional containers serviced.

(i) A collection and composting system for food and other compostable waste from commercial and institutional entities that generate large amounts of such wastes.

(j) A commercial recycling program that requires commercial generators of solid waste that generate large amounts of recyclable materials to source separate recyclable materials.

(k) A program for monthly or more frequent on-route collection and composting for food and other compostable waste from residential collection service customers. The program described in this paragraph must include education or promotion to reduce contamination of the compost feedstock collected.

(L) A recovery program for construction and demolition debris that:

(A) Requires construction and demolition debris to be source separated at the generation site or sent to a material recovery facility for processing and recovery; and

(B) Includes an education or promotion program for developers, contractors and residential owners that provides strategies to:

(i) Reduce waste during preconstruction planning and in building construction, renovation and demolition phases; and

(ii) Direct waste to reuse and material recovery facilities.

(m) A food waste collection program requiring nonresidential generators that generate large amounts of food waste to source separate the food waste for recovery.

(2) The waste prevention education and reuse program elements that a city or county shall use to implement the requirements of subsection (6) or (7) of this section are as follows:

(a) A citywide or countywide education and promotion program about the environmental benefits of, and opportunities to reduce the generation of waste through, waste prevention and reuse.

(b) A waste prevention campaign targeting residential generators of waste and focused on one or more toxic or energy intensive materials or consumer purchasing practices.

(c) A waste prevention campaign targeting commercial or institutional generators of waste and focused on one or more toxic or energy intensive materials or consumer purchasing practices.

(d) A waste prevention and reuse education program in elementary and secondary schools.

(e) A program for the provision of city or wasteshed funding or infrastructure support to promote and sustain reuse, repair, leasing or sharing efforts.

(f) A program for the provision of city or wasteshed technical assistance to promote and sustain the reuse, repair or leasing of materials or other sharing of efforts to reduce waste.

(g) City or wasteshed support for a food rescue program that diverts to residents food that would otherwise be composted or disposed.

(3) Each city that is within a metropolitan service district or with a population of at least 4,000 and each county that is responsible for the area between city limits and the urban growth boundary of the city or the area outside the city limits but within a metropolitan service district shall implement either:

(a) The applicable number of recycling program elements for the size and location of the city as provided in subsection (4) of this section; or

(b) An alternative program that complies with the rules of the Environmental Quality Commission and that is designed to be as effective in recovering recyclable materials from solid waste as the requirements provided in subsection (4) of this section and to achieve at least the lesser of:

(A) Recovery rates specified in ORS § 459A.010 (2); or

(B) Recovery levels comparable to similar communities.

(4) The number of recycling program elements that cities and counties must implement to comply with subsection (3) of this section are as follows:

(a) For cities within a metropolitan service district:

(A) The three recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1)(a), (b) and (c) of this section and at least four additional elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section; or

(B) At least eight recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(b) For cities with a population of at least 4,000 but not more than 10,000 that are located 120 miles or less from the City of Portland, at least four recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(c) For cities with a population of at least 4,000 but not more than 10,000 that are more than 120 miles from the City of Portland, at least three recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(d) For cities with a population of more than 10,000 but not more than 50,000 that are located 150 miles or less from the City of Portland:

(A) The three recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1)(a), (b) and (c) of this section and at least two additional elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section; or

(B) At least six recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(e) For cities with a population of more than 10,000 that are located more than 150 miles from the City of Portland:

(A) The three recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1)(a), (b) and (c) of this section and at least one additional element set forth under subsection (1) of this section; or

(B) At least five recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(f) For cities with a population of more than 50,000 that are located 150 miles or less from the City of Portland:

(A) The three recycling program elements set forth under subsections (1)(a), (b) and (c) of this section and at least three additional recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section; or

(B) At least seven recycling program elements set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(5) A city or county that is not subject to subsection (6) or (7) of this section may substitute the waste prevention and reuse program element set forth in subsection (2)(a) of this section and at least two additional elements set forth in subsection (2) of this section for one recycling program element set forth under subsection (1) of this section.

(6) Each city that is within a metropolitan service district or with a population of greater than 50,000 and each county that is responsible for the area between city limits and the urban growth boundary of a city with a population of greater than 50,000 or the area outside of city limits but within a metropolitan service district urban growth boundary shall implement either:

(a) The waste prevention and reuse program element set forth under subsection (2)(a) of this section, and at least four additional elements set forth under subsection (2) of this section; or

(b) An alternative program that complies with the rules of the Environmental Quality Commission and is designed to achieve similar benefits as the elements in subsection (2) of this section.

(7) Each city with a population of greater than 10,000 but no more than 50,000, that is within a county of greater than 100,000 population, and each county of greater than 100,000 population that is responsible for the area between city limits and the urban growth boundary of a city with a population of greater than 10,000 but no more than 50,000 shall implement either:

(a) The waste prevention and reuse program element set forth under subsection (2)(a) of this section, and at least two additional elements set forth under subsection (2) of this section; or

(b) An alternative program that complies with the rules of the Environmental Quality Commission and is designed to achieve similar benefits as the elements in subsection (2) of this section.

(8)(a) For a city using waste prevention and reuse elements set forth under subsection (2) of this section to satisfy requirements set forth in subsection (6) or (7) of this section, waste prevention and reuse elements may be provided by the county or metropolitan service district where the city is located, provided that implementation or provisions of such elements are made available throughout the city.

(b) For a county that includes or is within a metropolitan service district using waste prevention and reuse elements set forth under subsection (2) of this section to satisfy requirements set forth in subsection (6) or (7) of this section, waste prevention and reuse elements may be provided by the metropolitan service district where the county is located, provided that implementation or provision of such elements are made available within the entire urban growth boundary of the metropolitan service district.

(9)(a) Each local government that franchises or licenses the collection of solid waste and establishes the rates to be charged for collection service shall:

(A) Include in those rates all net costs incurred by the local government, franchisee or licensee for providing the opportunity to recycle and for implementing the requirements of this section; or

(B) Fund implementation of the opportunity to recycle through an alternative source of funding that may include but is not limited to disposal fees.

(b) As used in this subsection, ‘net costs’ includes but is not limited to the reasonable costs for collecting, handling, processing, storing, transporting and delivering to market recyclable material and for providing any required education and promotion or data collection services adjusted by a factor to account for proceeds from the sale of recyclable material.

(10) A local government may assess a fee on solid waste collection or disposal services to cover costs to the local government for providing the opportunity to recycle and for implementing the requirements of this section. [2015 c.534 § 5; 2021 c.681 § 51]

459A.007 and 459A.008 were added to and made a part of 459A.005 to 459A.665 by legislative action but were not added to any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.