We are excited to offer Recycle+, a new service from Gresham Sanitary!  Recycle+ is an optional service to recycle materials not included in weekly recycling collection. Residents who choose this service are charged a monthly base fee and collection pick-up fee.

There is a monthly base fee of $2.50 (added on to your regular garbage service bill) and a $9.25 fee per collection.

To add Recycle+ services to your home use the buttons below! 

Already a customer and ready to schedule a pickup? Click below! 

How the Program Works

Prepare Materials

• You will receive a purple bin and plastic bags from us once you sign up.
  
• Separate all materials by type, put the materials in the plastic bags provided and place the bags in the purple bin. Make sure the container lid can close completely to keep materials dry. 
  
• Why plastic bags? Each category of items needs to be kept separate and dry during collection. The plastic bags will be recycled once materials arrive at their final destination. 
  
• Tip: To ensure materials are collected, make sure items are clean, sorted and bagged. Wet materials cannot be recycled. 
  

What is Collected? and Where does it go?

1. Stretchy plastic film/bags

• Plastic Bags
• Produce bags
• Dry cleaning bags
• Plastic padded envelopes (no padded manila envelopes)
• Plastic overwrap for paper towels, paper plates, napkins, etc

Stretchy plastic bags and film are shipped to a company that uses the materials to manufacture outdoor products such as composite decking, playground equipment and benches. Currently, the primary company receiving Recycle+ plastic film is TREX.

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2. Clear plastic #1 clamshell containers: One-piece containers hinged on one side and stamped with #1PET or PETE. Containers must be clear and clean of food residue. No black or other color plastic containers.

• Fruit containers
• Egg cartons
• Bakery containers
•  Take-out containers

​Clear plastic #1 clamshell containers are delivered to a recycling processing facility and, in coordination with D6inc, a partner of Green Impact Plastics, the PET thermoform, clamshell containers are recycled into new PET plastic packaging.*

3. Textiles:

• Clothing
• Bed linens
• Towels/rags
  
• No Shoes, pillows and cushions, wet or mildewed items, fabric with oil, gasoline or other hazardous materials

​Textiles are sent to Pioneer Wiping Cloth, a local company that recycles/downcycles textiles into wiping cloths and rags. 

4. Compact fluorescent light bulbs:

• A fluorescent lamp that is curved or folded to fit the space of a regular household lamp.
• Long fluorescent tubes used in commercial lighting are not accepted.
• Bulbs must be contained in a zip-sealed bag. This protects workers from mercury exposure should bulbs get broken during handling.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are sent to processors who are vetted and have received third party certification such as through R2, RIOS and/or e-stewards.

​5. Rotating Item ** Small Electronic Waste

• Yes Keyboards, mice, cords, Christmas lights, cell phones, chargers
• No stereos, microwaves, computers or monitors

** Rotating Items – each quarter a new item will be announced for reuse and recycling.

Small peripheral electronics will be taken to permitted e-waste recycling facilities.

Extras

• Styrofoam – $9.00
• Coolers and other protective packaging
• White styrofoam (#6 PS) only.
• NO Food residue, dirt or tape, packing peanuts, squishy foam
  
• Extra bags of core items – $1.00 Each (5 bag max)
  
  

Remember: 

• Only the items listed above can be collected 
• Pickups are on-call and you must schedule your pickup here to have your items collected
• Sort all materials by type (listed above) in separate bags 
• Make sure the lid to the purple bin is completely closed to keep items dry 
• There is no commitment, you can cancel this service any time
• Pro Tip: To ensure materials are collected make sure items are clean, sorted and bagged so they can be recycled! 

Program Cost

Recycle+ costs a small base fee and a pickup fee for each requested pickup. You can set out your Recycle+ curbside or at another location on your property, such as your doorstep or porch (additional fees apply). 

Curbside is defined as within five feet of a public or private road. Place your bin out by 6 a.m. on your Recycle+ collection day. 

• Base charge (billed monthly): $2.50 
• Curbside pickup (each): $9.25 
  Place your bin near the road so it is clear of sidewalks, driveways, public streets or other rights of way.
• Non-curbside pickup 5-150 feet (each): $11.70 
• Non-curbside pickup over 150 feet (each): $13.02 
  For doorstep collection, place your bin visibly near your doorstep or porch. 

If you qualify as a person with a disability as identified by Oregon state law and do not share a household with an individual capable of placing your container curbside, you can request non-curbside pickup at no extra charge. Contact your garbage and recycling company for more information. 

FAQs:

How big is the Recycle+ bin?

It’s an 18-gallon bin. It comes with a domed lid that adds another 2 gallons to the capacity. The dimensions are 18.3”D x 27.75”W x 13.5″ H (17.5”H with the lid on).

Why are plastic bags used for separating Recycle+ materials?

Existing lifecycle analysis (LCA) research for grocery bags shows that when choosing between plastic and cotton to manufacture bags, the environmental impact of cotton appears to be higher than that for a variety of plastics for several indicators including climate change and resource depletion.

The production of fabric bags comes with its own environmental footprint that starts with the impacts of agriculture. Depending on the environmental indicator in question, the LCAs estimate cotton bags may need to be reused hundreds or thousands of times to equal that of single use plastic bags.

While grocery bag LCA results are not directly applicable to the bags used in this new collection service, the research shows that choosing cotton over plastic is not automatically an environmental win in all situations.

Reuse of bags in the Recycle+ program, regardless of material type, has not been determined to be feasible at this time. The plastic bags must be 30% post-consumer recycled content, unless unavailable in the marketplace. Bags will be recycled once emptied. Staff will keep an eye out for updated research and continue to look for ways to increase the value of this collection service for customers and for the planet.

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Why can’t I use my own plastic bags to separate materials in the bin?

It’s crucial to the success of the program that materials be free of contamination when they’re sent to their end markets. The bags need to be transparent so that your driver can quickly see if there’s any contamination in the materials they’re collecting. Common household bags reused by customers are opaque. They’re also often smaller in size, which may prevent items from being fully contained and protected from the elements once collected.

Why can’t I put Recycle+ items in my regular recycle bin?

It’s important for the items accepted in your standard recycling cart to stay consistent. The sorting equipment that separates everything is finely tuned for these items alone so that they don’t end up in the wrong place as contamination. Also, these items have many stable end markets. This means we can be confident they’ll be recycled. (In Oregon, it’s actually illegal for items collected as recycling to be thrown away.) 

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Why is there a monthly fee, even if I don’t request a pickup?

This is an optional service, and only a fraction of community members will sign up. The base monthly fee covers the ongoing time and cost associated with the program regardless of pickups. This includes things like customer communication, managing the sign-up process, the cost of the bins, etc.

The separate pick-up charge covers costs associated with collecting your materials each time: the labor, fuel, processing fees, etc.

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Sign Up

You can sign up for this service as soon as April 15th 2023. On Call Collection service will start on May 4th and run every other Thursday. Have your account information, name, address and a telephone number ready, then fill out the form here. You’ll receive an 18-gallon purple bin with a lid and bags prior to your first collection day.

After you get signed up, schedule your first pickup here.

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