Portland, OR Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Recycling pickup
- weekly, curbside
- Governing chapter
- City Code Ch. 17.102
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
- Banned in recycling cart
- plastic bags, diapers, food, yard debris
Summary
Portland residents get weekly curbside recycling through a City-franchised hauler, and putting the wrong material in the cart is a code violation.
It is a violation of Chapter 17.102 for any customer to: A. Place in a recycling cart, recycling container or recycling bin any plastic bag, diapers, pet waste, Styrofoam, wood, food, yard debris, or any solid waste; or, B. Place in a compost cart or compost container any plastic bag, diapers, pet waste, Styrofoam, or any solid waste.
Full Breakdown
Every Portland household is served by a City-franchised garbage and recycling hauler, with recycling and composting collected weekly (City Code § 17.102.190). Under § 17.102.295, it's a violation to place plastic bags, diapers, pet waste, Styrofoam, wood, food, or yard debris in a recycling cart, or those same materials plus solid waste in a compost cart. Only a City-approved residential recycler may collect residential recyclables (§ 17.102.140).
Violations & Fines
Contaminating a cart is a Chapter 17.102 violation enforceable by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability; unauthorized haulers collecting recyclables without a franchise face civil penalty assessments under § 17.102.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put plastic bags in my Portland recycling bin?
Who picks up recycling in Portland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Oregon trash & recycling overview
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Multnomah County handle recycling requirements.