Packaging companies will have a financial stake in whether their materials are recycled in Oregon, under a major bill that cleared its final legislative hurdle. Senate Bill 582, one of majority Democrats’ chief environmental goals this session, passed the House by the slimmest of margins, 31-24. It cleared the Senate on a 16-13 vote — also a bare majority — and now heads to Gov. Kate Brown.
“With this bill, we have the opportunity to truly make a difference and move the dial on how much we recycle or how much we don’t,” said state Rep. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro. “We must have the producers share their responsibility to help with waste reduction.”
SB 582 requires producers of paper, plastic and other materials to fund new initiatives aimed at collecting and recycling more of their materials — whether via existing programs or new efforts. That includes paying for educational campaigns to help consumers better understand recycling, helping upgrade existing recycling facilities, and paying for things like trucks and new containers to help local governments expand their recycling offerings.
To fund those causes and others, producers would be required to join a “producer responsibility organization” that would charge fluctuating annual membership fees. A producer’s fees could be reduced if they lessen the environmental impact of their products.