Eugene, OR Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

EC 3.270(1) is the operative curbside recycling mandate in the Eugene Code: in addition to the general business license requirements of EC 3.041, every solid waste collection licensee must provide curbside recycling and yard debris collection services to their customers, and must comply with the rules the city manager adopts under EC 2.019. That means a company licensed to collect solid waste in Eugene can't offer trash pickup alone and skip recycling; the recycling and yard debris service is bundled into the license itself. The administrative rules the city manager adopts under EC 2.019 can go further, covering minimum standards for collection service quality (EC 3.250(1)(d)), where and how receptacles are placed and retrieved (EC 3.250(1)(i)), and the maximum weight allowed for each container.

Only eight companies are licensed to provide this service citywide under EC 3.247(1), and each must recover regulatory and enforcement costs through fees the city sets under EC 3.250(1)(g). Collectors who don't collect solid waste at all, meaning recyclables-only collectors, are exempt from the rate-setting rules in EC 3.260(1) that apply to full-service haulers. The requirement traces back to the city's broader authority to license and regulate solid waste, yard debris, and recycling collection citywide, and it applies regardless of which of the eight licensed haulers serves a given address. The Eugene Code is current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026.