Lane County Secycles See Early Progress, Contamination Still a Problem

Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act began to reshape local recycling operations earlier this year, and on November 13, 2025 KLCC reported initial improvements alongside lingering challenges in Lane County. Coordinators and facility operators say collection and handling practices are changing as the law's new responsibilities and depot options start to take effect, but contamination remains the top operational problem as the program scales up.

Lane County Master Recycler Coordinator Kelly Bell and managers at local recycling centers identified films, shredded paper, and food soiled paper as the most common contaminants entering curbside mixed recycling. Those items are difficult for single stream systems to process and raise sorting workloads at material recovery facilities. The new law aims to expand producer responsibility for packaging and to create more depot options for materials that are hard to accept at the curb, such as styrofoam and shredded paper, but those depot systems are still rolling out across the state.

For residents the immediate consequence is practical and local. Putting soft flexible plastics, often called plastic film, or other non accepted items into curbside bins creates extra handling and can lower the cleanliness and marketability of recyclable loads. That means more time and equipment devoted to sorting, and a slower transition to the system the law intends to create. Local recycling managers and the county ask residents to follow new guidance posted by Lane County Waste Management and municipal pages to avoid creating extra sorting burdens and to keep recycling streams clean.

The economic logic behind the law is a shift in long run incentives. By expanding producer responsibility for packaging the state intends to move costs and design incentives upstream to manufacturers. In the near term however, local governments and operators face transitional costs as depot networks, contracts, and public education efforts come online. The balance of those effects will determine whether the program ultimately reduces public sector costs and improves material quality.

Practically speaking Lane County residents should stop placing soft flexible plastics and clearly not accepted items into curbside mixed recycling and should consult county and city web pages for the most current collection rules and depot locations. As depot access expands later this year and into 2026 more options will be available for styrofoam, shredded paper, and other materials that do not belong in single stream bins. For now careful sorting at the curb will help recycling centers process loads more efficiently and support the transition called for by the Recycling Modernization Act.