The Issues

To maintain Oregon’s natural beauty and the human health of its residents, we must conserve our natural resources and minimize extraction of raw materials through resource conservation. Recycling Advocates focuses on the 3 R’s of waste prevention (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). We encourage greater product stewardship, educate citizens and professionals about waste prevention, and inform members and the public about legislation and policies that affect waste prevention in Oregon.

Key Recent Accomplishments

• As a result of SB867, which Recycling Advocates had sponsored and helped to pass in 2003, the state Advisory Committee for Electronic Product Stewardship was formed in 2004.
• RA has now worked to pass SB 740, a bill that will create a system for the collection and recycling of e-waste in Oregon.
• RA, in collaboration with Metro and Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development just published the newest edition of RA’s "Recycling at Events" guide.
• The RA Board is developing a new biennial report on the state of recycling in Oregon.
• We continue to elevate the visibility of key issues in recycling and waste prevention through publications, monthly newsletters, our web site, informational displays, and special events.

3R’s Outreach and Education

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle make up the 3R’s of waste prevention. Outreach and education remain key strategies for involving people in creating a sustainable future through preventing waste. Recycling Advocates reaches out to citizens in a variety of ways.

Product Stewardship and E-waste Reduction

RA believes that manufacturers must begin taking some responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products. In recent years, RA has focused on electronics product stewardship and coordinated the activities of the Western Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative, and helped introduce Senate Bill 867 that led to the creation of the Advisory Committee for Electronic Product Stewardship. RA does not have a direct representative on the committee, but we monitor the work of this important advisory committee. We anticipate that the committee will suggest legislative policy directed at reducing e-waste in Oregon.

RA board members have also been key participants in AOR’s electronics product stewardship forum. Rob Guttridge served as a panel member, and Lori Stole served as moderator.

Publications

With Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development and Metro, Recycling Advocates wrapped up work on updating our popular "Recycling at Events" publication. The guide is now available for free in the Metro area. Outside of the Metro area, the guide can be purchased for $3.00.

Volunteers and RA Board members are currently working together to create Oregon’s first ever "State of Recycling Report." We plan on its release in early 2006. RA members and citizens can look forward to updates of this report every two years.

RA continues to offer publications for citizens and waste prevention educators. "Ten Ways to Stop Junk Mail" provides readers with all the necessary resource information needed to halt most junk mail. Our "Packaging Survey" gives specific examples of how much we pay for extra packaging of food, and the second page lists several stores that sell a significant number of commodities in bulk.

Both publications are available on our Web site, as are RA’s "Recycling at Events: A Guide to Reducing Waste at Any Event" and vermicomposting brochure.