Oregon is recycling less and wasting more

(NOVEMBER 15, 2019) Citizens of Oregon often speak with pride about the state's recycling efforts. However, a new report has bad news. It says:

1. Oregonians are producing more trash (more than 7 pounds of trash per day)
2. The state recycling rate is doing down
3. Fewer East Asian markets are willing to take our waste

The report's title is "The State of Recycling in Oregon." It was published by U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Environment Oregon Research and Policy Center.

“The reality is plastics are so hard to recycle and so low value that we could only consistently afford to collect and recycle it when China was willing to buy it," said Celeste Meiffren-Swango. She is the state director for Environment Oregon Research and Policy Center. “Now we are left to deal with it ourselves, and plastic is choking our recycling system."

The report also mentions some ways to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills or is burned. However, the strategies are not new to many Oregonians. They are the same three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.

“It’s entirely within our power to fix the system, but what is missing is the necessary sense of urgency,” said Alex Trulove. He works for U.S. PIRG Education Fund. He is one of the report's authors. He adds, “Recycling, composting and waste reduction efforts will need to play an important role in the fight against microplastic pollution, climate change and other environmental challenges.”