Tigard, OR Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

Section 11.04.160 requires every covered business in the City of Tigard to meet the business food waste performance standard in Metro Regional Government Code Sections 5.10.410 to 5.10.470, unless otherwise exempt. The chapter defines "covered business" as a business that cooks, assembles, processes, serves, or sells food, and "business food waste" as solid waste consisting of food waste removed from the food supply chain that is not fit for human or animal consumption.

Building owners carry a duty too. Owners or managers of single or multi-tenant buildings containing covered businesses must allow or otherwise enable food waste collection service for the lessees or occupants subject to the requirement, so a landlord cannot block a tenant from getting a food waste container.

Section 11.04.165 spells out the on-site rules. Covered businesses must separate food waste from all other solid waste for collection and must have correctly-labeled and easily-identifiable receptacles in internal maintenance or work areas where food waste is collected, stored, or both. They must collect the food waste controlled by the business, its agents and employees; the requirement does not reach food waste controlled by customers or the public, though a business can choose to collect it as long as it is free of non-food items. K-12 schools can include student-generated cafeteria food waste on the same condition. Signs are mandatory: accurate signs must be posted where food waste is collected, stored, or both, identifying the materials the business must source separate.

Section 11.04.170 phases the requirement in by weekly volume. Group 1 ran from March 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 for businesses at or below 0.5 ton (1,000 pounds) per week, Group 2 from March 31, 2021 to March 31, 2022 at 0.25 ton (500 pounds), and Group 3 from March 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023 at 0.125 ton (250 pounds). Businesses that demonstrate they generate less than 250 pounds per week are not subject to the requirement.

Section 11.04.175 allows a temporary 12-month waiver. The business must give a recycling specialist access for a site visit and demonstrate it cannot comply, and it must agree to periodic verification visits to confirm the conditions still cannot be remedied.