Use your brown bin for your waste and non recyclables.

We have larger sized bin call us or contact us if you need one.

Anything that you are unable to recycle or add to your compost can be put in this bin. For large items such as mattresses or sofa please contact us and will let you know if an extra charge applies.

Don’t forget your pet waste. It can be an health hazard and can pollute our water streams. To protect yourself and our collectors follow these tips:

Dog waste

Quickly collect the dog waste and place it in a plastic bag ( compostable plastic bag if possible) then dispose of it in your garbage and be sure to wash your hands.
Dog waste can carry parasites and bacteria. For example:
Roundworm – Roundworm resides in the small intestine of the dog. Its eggs are passed to the outside environment in the dog’s waste. However since humans don’t develop roundworm the roundworm takes a different path in the human body through the tissues and organs that can cause disease to the lungs, liver, and eyes.
Hookworm – is a parasite that is picked up by individuals that walk barefoot in contaminated areas.

Cat waste

Same for cat waste and litter, place it in plastic bag and discard in your trash.
Making sure your cat waste is bagged will protect our collectors and sanitation workers as well as you and folks and pet in your community.
Cat feces can possibly carry toxoplasmois, a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. If contracted it would be dangerous for infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.
Make sure to always wash your hands after cleaning the litter box.

wasteBinCard

The blue bins are for your recyclables.

  • The items in the bin should fall freely when tipped.
  • Do not put plastic bags in the blue bin.
  • They tie up the machinery and rollers at the recycling center and could be a safety hazards for handlers.
  • Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, and phone books and other paper items can be placed loose in cart.
  • You can also put cardboard in but please flatten it. Cardboard should not be larger than 3’ X 3’ wide so break it down if it is.
  • No food, food contaminated paper, tissue paper, coated papers into the blue bin.
  • Metal and metal Cans: steel & aluminum can go in the blue bin, but please rinse them clean. Aerosol Cans can go too. Please don’t puncture of flatten them and remove the plastic cap. You can also add metal which is smaller than 30” long and less than 40 lbs.
  • Milk jugs, juice cartons and bottles, drink boxes can go in the blue bin, but rinse them first please. No straws .
  • Glass: glass is recycled separately, do not put it in the blue bins, remove the lids and place glass bottles and jars into a separate container. We can provide you with a glass bin.
  • Plastic Bottles: Include bottles with necks smaller than the base or with screw tops. Discard lids, caps, and pumps. Rinse bottles, and put in cart.
  • Plastic items: Plant flats, gardening pots and buckets. Containers such as plastic tubs used for yogurt, cottage cheese and salsas. Please clean them before placing in blue bins.
  • No motor oil, pesticide & other hazardous material bottles or hazardous waste.
    Leave next to the bins:

Motor Oil: Recycle in a see-through, unbreakable container, (no larger than two gallons),with a screw top lid.

Household hazardous waste is accepted by Metro at no charge. Please call 503-234-3000 for information.

blue bin recyclables

 

Food waste and yard debris cart information and instructions

  • We pick up yard debris and food scraps weekly
  • There is a 100 lbs weight limit.
  • You can add your compost and food scraps to the green bin.

Do not put the following items in the green bin or compost pail:

  • Plastic items
  • Paper items
  • Pet waste, No dog waste or kitty litter please.
  • Non organic items.

green bin yard debris

 

find out more about gardening and composting.

 

Compost Collection

Compost carts are serviced weekly. One green 64-gallon roll cart is included in your regular garbage service. Additional costs incurred for extra cans, bags or bundles.

On Pickup Day

Place materials at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your pickup day.

Place materials within three feet of the curb.

Place the container with the lid opening facing towards the street.

Do not use plastic bags, yellow recycling bins, plastic liners or containers not labeled for yard debris.

When using Kraft paper yard debris bags, try to avoid putting wet debris at the bottom of bag; keep bags in dry location until pickup day to prevent bottom from falling out.

Include all food waste and plant trimmings.

Contents should not include garbage, rocks, sods, dirt, ashes, or animal waste.

Tie bundles with string or twine (prunings are limited to 4″ in diameter and 36″ in length).

Composting is a natural process where organic materials are recycled into a rich soil known as compost.

Any organic material will decompose.
You can take advantage of composting your waste if you have a garden or enjoy gardening.
when you compost your organic scraps and yard waste you follow but accelerate the same natural process of With compost you return nutrients back into the soil and create a rich fertile healty ground for plants and vegetables.

There are various types composting:

Backyard composting — A balance of dry materials, such as fallen leaves, straw, light twigs. And fresh materials, like grass clipping. ligth trim ends and kitchen scraps (no meat).
Layer them and you have your very own compost pile.

Worm composting (vermicomposting) — The Process of composting using various worms, most commonly red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms is also good if you have a smaller areas and/or have an abundance of food scraps.

Grasscycling: You grasscycle when you have grass clippings and don’t want to use them in a compost pile. You can leave them on the lawn to decompose.

Some links to help you in your gardening

The Dirtbag on KBOO great gardening podcast

Gardening in the Pacific NW

Growing Vegetables in Oregon

Better Homes and Gardens

Gardening in the Pacific Northwest. OSU Gardening information

Illegal Dumping Awareness

Trash, plastics, used and dirty mattresses, busted home appliances and furniture

Hazardous chemicals like pesticides, oils and antifrezee.
Just some of the things illegal dumpers leave on public lands, sidewalks, in park, abandoned lots and where ever they find it convenient.<br><br/>Illegal dumps can become potentially dangerous areas. Hazardous chemicals like antifreeze can hurt or kill your pets. Broken furniture or appliances could injure children playing nearby.

Contact Metro’s RID Patrol at 503-234-3000 or report illegal dumping to help stop this happening in your neighborhood.

For safety and environmental reasons you can not dispose as garbage in the state of Oregon:

Television, computers, laptops and monitors.
Don’t place those items in the trash, recycling bin or at the curb.

Many of the electronics components are toxic and require special handling. Bring them to a free drop off location for recycling or consider donating your computers, laptops and monitors as well as other high tech waste to Freegeek.

Also find other locations where you can safely recycle your electronics, computers, televisions and monitors with Oregon E-Cycles it is free, ecological and will help keep our environment toxin free.