Portland targets green bag program expansion with new redemption center legislation

The House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment convened on May 8, 2025, to discuss significant updates regarding Portland's recycling and redemption programs. The meeting highlighted the city's efforts to enhance accessibility and efficiency in its green and blue bag programs, which are designed to encourage residents to recycle beverage containers.

A key point of discussion was the expansion of redemption sites across Portland. Currently, there are 29 green and blue bag drop locations, with plans to increase this number as new legislation is implemented. Additionally, Portlanders can redeem containers at 57 large format stores and 361 small format stores, which collectively account for 55% of container returns in the city. The remaining 45% comes from bag returns.

The committee examined the potential impact of alternative access redemption centers on convenience stores. Historical data from nine redemption centers across the state indicated a decline in redemptions at small format stores following the establishment of these centers. This trend is expected to continue in Portland, particularly with new operating hours for these centers, limiting returns to 8 AM to 6 PM.

To improve participation in the green bag program, the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) is implementing two main strategies. First, they are incentivizing large format stores to host green and blue bag sites instead of in-store returns. Second, an education and outreach campaign has been launched to inform residents about the benefits of the program, which has already shown an increase in bag redemptions.

The meeting also introduced the concept of "Bottle Drop Dash," a pilot program aimed at providing more flexible options for consumers to drop off their bags at participating stores. This initiative is designed to accommodate urban areas where parking may be limited.

Furthermore, the committee discussed the establishment of low impact convenience zones for redemption centers. These zones would be designated based on specific criteria, including the volume of returns to large format stores and the operational history of redemption centers. This approach aims to ensure that the redistribution of containers does not overwhelm existing redemption options.

In conclusion, the committee's discussions underscored Portland's commitment to enhancing its recycling infrastructure and promoting sustainable practices among residents. The proposed changes and new initiatives are expected to improve accessibility and efficiency in the city's recycling efforts, ultimately benefiting the environment and the community.