by Rob Fisette, SEN Board Member, for the Environmental Stewardship Committee
If you’re like me, you try to recycle and do your part, but frequently get frustrated that much of the packaging bearing the three chasing arrows recycling symbol is not actually accepted for recycling.
I am sometimes guilty of hopeful recycling—putting an item in the recycling that may not belong there and hoping for the best. This confusion results in many commingle loads which include recyclable materials contaminated by non-recyclable materials. The contamination causes entire loads (recyclables and non alike) to be landfilled.
To help solve this and other gaps in the state’s recycling system, the Oregon legislature is considering Oregon House Bill 2065.
OHB2065 is designed to restructure Oregon’s recycling system:
- Creating statewide standards for what packaging will be recycled;
- Requiring that manufacturers and producers who sell products in Oregon identify their packaging’s recyclability in accordance with those standards; and,
- Introducing Extended Producer Responsibility requirements that make producers financially responsible for funding changes to Oregon’s recycling programs.
The Environmental Stewardship Committee is tracking developments of HB 2065 and will attempt to keep SEN residents informed.
If you are passionate about this issue (or other environmental issues related to livability), reach out and get in touch! Please contact Devon Mann at manndevonsen@gmail.com for more information about joining the SEN Environmental Stewardship Committee.
Visit these online sources for additional OHB2065 for more information:
https://www.oregon.gov/deq/recycling/Documents/recHB2065sectionSum.pdf
https://www.oregon.gov/deq/recycling/Documents/recModORrecfs.pdf