Lake Oswego City Council approves new recycling collection services licensing program

The City Council of Lake Oswego convened on March 4, 2023, to discuss significant updates regarding recycling services in the city. The primary focus of the meeting was the introduction of Ordinance 29 56, which aims to establish a new licensing program for additional recycling collection services.

City Sustainability Program Manager Amanda Watson presented the ordinance, explaining that it seeks to address the current limitations of the city's solid waste franchise agreement with Republic Services. The ordinance would allow for the collection of hard-to-recycle materials, such as plastic bags, light bulbs, and textiles, which are not included in the standard curbside recycling program. Currently, Ridwell, a for-profit company, has been operating in Lake Oswego without authorization, prompting the need for this regulatory framework.

The council previously engaged in discussions about how to regulate these additional services, leading to the recommendation from the Sustainability Advisory Board to create a licensing program. This program would provide residents with more options for recycling services while ensuring compliance with state recycling laws.

The proposed licensing program would require companies to apply annually, with an application fee set at $500. This fee was adjusted from an earlier proposal to ensure it adequately covers the program's administrative costs. Companies would also need to report biannually on the materials collected and their processing locations.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Taylor Lowen, the regional operations director for Ridwell, expressed strong support for the ordinance. He emphasized the importance of providing residents with multiple recycling options and clarified that Ridwell had attempted to comply with licensing requirements throughout its operations.

The council members engaged in a brief discussion regarding the types of materials that would be accepted under the new program and confirmed that Republic Services had no objections to the proposed changes.

The meeting concluded with no further questions from the council, and the public hearing was closed. The council's next steps will involve finalizing the ordinance and implementing the new licensing program, which aims to enhance recycling efforts in Lake Oswego.