Roll Cart Recycling Program

Q. Why is Washington County switching to recycling carts? 

(urban, unincorporated Washington County residents only)

A.  Washington County pursued adopting a roll cart recycling program for urban, unincorporated households for the following reasons:

• An every-other-week, 96-gallon roll carts provide 70% more recycling capacity per month than the red bin program. More capacity is needed to accommodate the increased list of acceptable materials in the curbside program; includes tubs, buckets and nursery pots.
• The increased capacity provides for a reduced collection frequency, which decreases diesel emmissions and noise from collection trucks.
• Residents expressed an interest to have roll cart recycling collection
• Carts can be easier to move than two full recycling bins
• Automated collection = less physical wear and tear on collection company employees
• Cart lids prevent recyclables from becoming litter on windy days.

Q. Red recycling bins - What should I do with the red bins?

A. 

• Use the red bins to collect glass and set out next to your roll cart on collection day. Contact us if you would like a "glass only" sticker for your bin.
• Bins are easy for drivers to spot when collecting glass
• Other uses: store and transport chemical wastes (paint, antifreeze, pesticides) to Metro’s HHW collection events.
• Contact hauler to collect any unused bins.

Q. Is the cart bigger than the red bins?

(urban, unincorporated Washington County residents only)

A.  You're right. The cart has nearly 70% more volume than the red bins and may take some time to get used to. The cart was selected based upon it's size and ability to accommodate changes in acceptable recycling program materials.

• Use your roll cart for 60-days before requesting a smaller cart from collection service provider. 
• Cart provides extra room = no need to flatten metal/plastic/boxes; toss recyclables into the cart and close the lid 
• Every-other-week collection means two weeks of recycling accumulates between pickups and can fill a large cart
• More materials are accepted (plastic tubs, nursery pots and buckets). See expanded description below or here.

Q. If I choose not to use the carts, can I still use the red bins to recycle? 

A.  Once recycling carts are distrubited, the red bins will only be used to collect glass. Collection companies will not accept mixed recycling in the red bins.  You have the option to transport your recycling to a local depot. Contact Metro’s Recycling Information Center at 503-234-3000 or your collection company to find one near you.

Q. If I decide to not use the recycling cart and set aside recyclables, does my monthly rate decrease?

A.

• No. Residents pay a weekly solid waste user fee based on the size of their garbage cart, regardless of participation in recycling or yard debris service
• Disposal is more costly than recycling or composting. Residents who participate in yard debris and recycling programs help to keep the cost of service low, which in turn, keeps customers’ fees low. 

Q. How did the County decide to implement this program? Did the County seek public input into the urban, unincorporated program?

A.   Yes. The Board of County Commissioners adopted the every-other-week roll cart recycling program for the urban, unincorporated areas of Washington County in September 2007 after the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) reviewed the program at three public meetings and recommended its implementation.

Some factors in the decision to move to roll cart recycling collection include:

• A need to increase material recovery rates to meet a state-mandated regional goal of 64 percent recovery of waste
• Research shows that roll cart programs in other Washington County cities increased recycling rates by at least 8 percent
• Maintain residents' collection rates without an increase by moving recyclables collection to an every-other-week schedule

Collection Schedule

Q.  What if I forget to set my recycling cart out on the day of my collection?

A. Cart contents will be collected on the next regularly scheduled collection day. You can place extra recycling out in a cardboard box or paper bag on your next recycling collection date or take extra recycling to a local recycling center.

Q. What time does my cart need to be out at the curb?

A. Collection times vary. Recycling cart must be curbside by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.

Q. How frequently should I set out my recycling cart/recyclables for collection? 

A. Collection frequency depends on which jurisdiction you live in. Unincorporated Washington County residents' recycling collection frequency is every-other-week. If you live in an incorporated city, see table below:

Set out glass bins on your scheduled recycling collection day* only when full. Glass collection is picked up manually and can be labor- and time-intensive. Full bins maximize the collection drivers’ time, while keeping costs and rates consistent.

* Sherwood and Tigard residents use a monthly glass collection schedule. Contact your collection company for details.

Recycling Materials

Q. What materials are accepted in the recycling carts?

A. The following are accepted in the recycling program:

• Corrugated cardboard boxes (do not flatten - must fit in cart and fall out easily when cart is tipped)
• Scrap or office paper, paperboard boxes, magazines, newspaper, telephone books, paper packaging, junk mail, and brown paper grocery bags
• Scrap metal and cans, including empty metal paint cans (do not flatten cans; paint cans should be dry and contain less than 1” of dried paint)
• Metal lids and small metal pieces - put all metal lids and small scraps (e.g.;paper clips) in one metal can and crimp edge to keep pieces from falling out
• Plastic bottles, tubs, and buckets from 6 ounces to 5 gallons
• Rigid nursery pots from 4 inches diameter to 5 gallons (rinse clean)
• Aseptic containers; soy milk, drink boxes and chicken broth (rinse;do not flatten)
• Milk cartons/gable top cartons (rinse; do not flatten)

Remember: Glass bottles and jars (clear, green, brown) should be kept on the side in a separate rigid container (red bin/bucket.) Set out motor oil in a see-through container with a screw-top lid (like a milk jug) next to glass bin or recycling cart.

Q. Why are there size limitations on the plastics for the recycle cart?

A. Smaller plastics (<2” diameter) get lost in the sorting process and can end up in the garbage. Take small/unusual plastics to a depot or a Master Recycler collection event.

Q. Why can't plastic bags go in the recycling cart?

A.  Plastic bags are not collected curbside. Do not use plastic bags to collect materials for your cart, instead use paper bags.

• Bags mixed with recyclables tangle in sorting machinery, reducing the likelihood that materials will be sent to the right markets to be recycled. Example: Plastic bottles are inadvertently sent to a paper mills with piles of papers because the sorting machinery was clogged with plastic bags.
• Plastic bags are made from valuable materials.Take plastic bags to recycling centers or grocery stores to make the most of this recyclable material

Q. Yard Debris - Can I put yard waste in my recycling cart?

A.  No. Yard waste recycling collection is part of your collection service and must be kept in container designated for yard debris. For unincorporated Washington County residents, your haulers should provide you with a 60-gallon cart specifically for collecting yard debris. 

Q. Glass - Why can't glass be placed in the mixed recycling cart?

A. When glass breaks, glass shards damage expensive equipment at paper mills and can also pose a danger to employees who hand-sort recyclables. Keep glass separate!

Q. Extra recycling - What should I do with recycling, such as cardboard, that won’t fit inside the cart?

A. Attempt to fit all recycling into the cart while keeping it in mind that materials must freely fall out when tipped for collection. If your extra recyclables will not fit into the cart, collect these in a paper bag or cardboard box and set them next to the cart for collection. Please take large quantities of extra recycling to a recycling depot. Depots also accept many materials that your curbside collection company will not accept 

Fold or cut cardboard to fit inside the cart.

Q. What type of plastics are accepted in the Washington County residential recycling program?

A. For more information, link to the RecycleWise semi-annual newsletters.