Wilsonville hears rollout plan for Recycling Modernization Act, timeline for next year’s solid-waste rate review

Wilsonville councilors received a detailed briefing on Monday about Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act and how the law will affect the city’s solid-waste franchise agreement and upcoming rate review process.

The presentation by Cindy Rogers, municipal relationship manager for Republic Services, and Travis Comfort, Republic’s municipal contract administrator, laid out a timeline for local rate and administrative-rule work and stressed that while the statewide program launches July 1, 2025, implementation will roll out over months.

"The recycling modernization act is a lot to digest. We've spent hundreds of hours working on this. It is a shared effort between the Department of Environmental Quality, Circular Action Alliance, the commingle recycling processing facilities, the processing facilities, the producers, the haulers, local government, and too many others to list," Cindy Rogers said.

Why it matters: the Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) shifts financial responsibility for recycling many paper and packaging materials toward producers through producer-responsibility organizations. That change is designed to stabilize recycling markets and, officials said, should help offset processing costs that have contributed to recent rate volatility.

Key details from the staff briefing: - The RMA’s statewide launch date is July 1, 2025, but Circular Action Alliance (CAA) and the Department of Environmental Quality will phase in standards and convenience targets rather than flip a single switch. - Republic Services continues as Wilsonville’s exclusive waste hauler under a franchise that dates to 1982 and was revised in recent years to set standardized rate procedures and operational rules. - The city’s rate-review timetable: Republic will provide calendar-year 2024 data in late July; council will receive an annual operational report on Aug. 15; staff and consultant Chris Bell (a CPA) will present a draft rate analysis Oct. 20; a revised rate report is expected Nov. 17; any ordinance adjusting service rates would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. - Under the existing franchise formula, Republic Services is aimed at a target operating margin of 10%; if the operating margin exceeds 12% of gross revenues, rates would remain unchanged under the formula. - The city is considering changes to administrative rules to create a new customer category for mixed-use properties and evaluating whether to simplify the current forward-looking cost projection step in the rate review.

Council questions focused on costs to consumers and material-specific rules. Councilor John Dunwall asked whether expanded recycling lists would increase costs at stores or for residents. Travis Comfort said it is "too soon to tell" but that officials expect a clearer picture in about a year once post-RMA processing costs become known.

Councilor Dunwall also asked about expanded polystyrene (white block Styrofoam); Comfort explained the RMA narrows acceptable end-market pathways for polystyrene to mechanical recycling and noted that California’s recent policy changes affect market viability.

Staff noted additional operational details: material recovery facilities must be permitted and pay a living wage under the RMA, and producers will fund contamination-management and processor commodity-risk fees intended to reduce disposal burden on jurisdictions and processors.

The city and Republic also reminded residents of a June 21 bulky-waste event at the Ritter Road transfer station, where mattress recycling will be available and donations will support Wilsonville Community Sharing.

Councilors did not take formal action on rates Monday; staff said the council will have multiple opportunities for questions and direction during the formal rate-review process this summer and fall.

Ending: City staff and Republic agreed to return with the operational report in August and with detailed rate materials this fall so the council can act, if needed, before Jan. 1, 2026.