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Clackamas County Newsletter for Multifamily Property Managers
Spring/Summer 2021
Your quarterly guide to successful recycling & waste reduction
from Clackamas County's Sustainability & Solid Waste Program
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In this edition:
- Make Every Day Earth Day
- Upcoming Changes to Multifamily Garbage & Recycling
- Video: Climate Change & Racial Justice
- Recycle or Not: Plastic Padded Envelopes
- Recycle Right to Protect Our Community
- Illegal Dumping & Theft of Service - New Tools Available
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Make Every Day Earth Day!
Earth Day 2021 came and went, but that doesn't mean we can't continue Earth Day/Week/Month EVERY day!
Earth Day tends to motivate people do a little more for Mother Earth: litter clean-ups, tree plantings, etc. But there are things we can do every day to continue to support our environment:
- Repair broken items instead of buying new
- Choose reuse over single-use
- Walk or bike for short trips
- Minimize wasted food (tips & resources)
The more we do these (and other) actions, the more natural they become. Once these green practices become habit, every day becomes Earth Day!
Do you manage communities outside of Clackamas County? See our list of regional multifamily contacts throughout the tri-county area who are ready to help with your waste prevention, reuse, and recycling efforts.
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Upcoming Changes to Multifamily Garbage & Recycling
- Region-wide signage - All multifamily communities in the Portland-Metro area will have the same gabage and recycling signage. Metro and ClackCo Sustainability staff began piloting the new signage last fall with the plan to remove and replace old signage by 2024.
- Regularly Occurring Bulky Waste Collection Service - By July 2025, multifamily communities will have regular collection of large, bulky items (mattresses, furniture, etc.). No specifics exist yet, but we are currently conducting a pilot, and we hope to conduct a survey in a future e-newsletter to help define this future service.
- Region-wide bin colors - By July 2028, all multifamily garbage and recycling bins in the region will be color-coded (excludes compactors and drop boxes):
- Garbage - black/grey
- Recycling - blue
- Glass - orange
- Yard debris/food waste (for those who have it) - green
Additional changes will help ensure adequate garbage and recycling service. Minimum service volume/frequency will help communities determine service levels by having a per unit minimum volume for garbage and recycling. Furthermore, other local governments will join ClackCo Sustainability in doing enclosure design review to help ensure that new and significantly remodeled multifamily communities will have adequately-sized enclosures for their garbage and recycling collection service.
Together, coupled with these changes, multifamily garbage and recycling can be improved for residents, management, and garbage/recycling companies!
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Climate Change and Racial Justice
The environmental movement and racial justice are intertwined. Pollution and climate change disporportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Racism negatively impacts us all and is a draining force that takes time, energy, and effort away from the climate crisis' unifying call to action. To effectively address the climate crisis, we need everyone, and thus, the environmental movement must once again be one of racial justice.
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Recycle or Not: Plastic Padded Envelopes
Over the last year, many of us have seen an increase in deliveries. It's important for us to know if these items are recyclable or not.
- Boxes - Be sure to break down your boxes and place flattened boxes in the recycling bin (the labels and tape are not a problem)
- Plastic padded envelopes - Never place these items (or any bag) in the recycle bin. These items belong in the trash (unless you want to remove all labels/stickers, and take clean, dry, all-plastic ones back to the store for recycling).
Want to minimize your waste? When shopping online, consider bundling your orders so they arrive in a single package. Additionally, you can use the padded envelopes for padding when you ship your next package or prepare for a move. Got boxes? Create a fort for your kids (or cat) or reuse them for shipping packages. Just remember to break them down when it's time to recycle them.
Want to test your recycling knowledge? Visit RecycleorNot (or ReciclarONo in Spanish).
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Recycle Right and Protect Our Community
Recently, a local recycling truck driver spotted smoke on his truck cam. He immediately pulled off the road (as best he could) and sprayed his fire extinguisher into the back of the truck, but the smoke kept coming. When the fire truck arrived, they asked him to dump his near-full load onto the road. Luckily, the driver was near the end of his route, so the recycling was compacted which contained the fire to a single area. The firefighters were able to extinguish it and ClackCo roads crews and the garbage company were able to clean up the mess. Both the driver and the truck were unharmed. The suspected cause: batteries.
By recycling correctly, we protect our drivers and our communities, and we keep our recycling system costs down. Never place these items in your recycle bin:
TVs and Computers - TVs, laptops, computers, printers, keyboards and mice can be recycled for free at Goodwills and other participating locations.
Plastic Bags - Clean, dry plastic bags and flexible plastic wrap (like the wrap around toilet paper and paper towels) can be recycled at participating retailers.
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Resources for Property Managers: Illegal Dumping & Theft of Service
We've received an increasing number of inquiries about non-residents using multifamily garbage and recycling bins. Here are a list of suggestions to help prevent this from happening:
Post Signs- Hung prominently on an enclosure wall or nearby fence, the posting and citing of ORS may deter would-be users. Make your own or find ready-made ones online (examples below).
Send Letters - If you find mail with an address, send a letter stating that it is illegal for non-residents to use the bins.
Notify the authorities - If you have proof (name/address, video, photo, license plate, etc.), you can report it to local code enforcement or police.
The first two actions will hopefully deter would-be violators and prevent the problem from escalating or from becoming a problem in the first place.
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Questions? Have a suggestion?
Download our Recycle Guide
Clackamas County Sustainability & Solid Waste
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