Salem, OR Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Chapter 47 defines what counts as recyclable and how it must be kept apart from other waste. Sec. 020 defines recyclable material as any material or group of materials that can be collected and sold for recycling at a net cost equal to or less than the cost of collecting and disposing of the same material, and defines total source separation as the generator's complete separation of waste by type, with each kind of recyclable material distinctly separated into its own package, receptacle, or stack before collection, for example newspaper, cardboard, glass, ferrous cans and waste wood each in a separate receptacle rather than mixed together.

The chapter also allows mixed recycling, where two or more recyclable types are collected together in a combination the Director has approved, giving Salem's franchised haulers flexibility to run single-stream or multi-stream programs. The chapter's purpose section, Sec. 015(e), directs the City to provide technologically and economically feasible recycling and resource recovery as part of its solid waste franchise system, and Sec. 030 gives the Director authority to adopt administrative rules implementing the recycling program's day-to-day mechanics, such as which materials a given franchisee currently accepts curbside.

Residents preparing recyclables for pickup must also follow the bundling standard in Sec. 145(f), tying bundles or bagging loose newspapers and magazines so they do not blow away before the truck arrives.