(1) The Department of Environmental Quality shall:

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(a) Establish statewide recycling contamination reduction goals.

(b) Evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of different educational programs and other methods for reducing contamination.

(c) Establish and maintain a list of approved contamination reduction program elements, including:

(A) Customer-facing contamination reduction materials and methods that are responsive to the needs of diverse populations;

(B) Standards for providing feedback to generators that contribute to contamination that is responsive to the needs of diverse populations; and

(C) Standards for providing financial or service consequences to generators that are significant and repeated sources of contamination and that continue to contaminate separated recyclables after being subject to elements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph. Consequences must be responsive to the conditions of diverse populations.

(d) Once every four years:

(A) Review and summarize statewide information on contamination at the point of collection, using data provided in accordance with ORS § 459A.959, and revise the statewide recycling contamination reduction goals, as appropriate; and

(B) Provide a written report in the manner provided by ORS § 192.245 to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to the environment. The report must include:

(i) A description of the effectiveness of the contamination reduction program elements;

(ii) Recommendations to maintain, revise or discontinue programs developed under this section; and

(iii) Recommendations regarding the funding of contamination reduction programming under ORS § 459A.890 (4).

(2) A local government described in ORS § 459A.007 (3) or a local government’s service provider that provides for the collection of source separated recyclables pursuant to ORS § 459.250 or 459A.005 must establish and implement a program to reduce contamination that:

(a) Includes one or more local recycling contamination reduction goals that are consistent with the statewide goals established in subsection (1) of this section.

(b) Causes collected source separated recyclables to undergo periodic evaluation of collected material quality and contamination, in accordance with forms and procedures established by the department under ORS § 459A.959.

(c) Includes:

(A) At least one of each of the program elements described in subsection (1)(c)(A) to (C) of this section; or

(B) Uses materials or methods that are at least as effective as materials or methods approved by the department under subsection (1)(c) of this section.

(d) Includes, at least once every five years, a process for reviewing, and revising as appropriate, the local goals established in subsection (2)(a) of this section and local elements established in subsection (2)(c) of this section.

(3) A local government or local government’s service provider may not be required to provide contamination reduction programming under this section to the extent that doing so would require the use of funds other than advance funding or reimbursements available under ORS § 459A.890 (4). [2021 c.681 § 28]