Recycling

Recycling Collection

Lake Oswego offers “comingled” recycling, meaning that everything that can be recycled goes into the same container, with the exception of glass. It is very important that trash not end up in the recycling as it will contaminate the entire load. Remember: When In Doubt, Throw It Out.

What goes into my recycling cart?

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All items in your recycling bin must be empty/clean and dry.

Items not listed in the recycling guide above such as plastic clamshells, iced and hot coffee cups, lids, straws, plastic bags, etc have never been permitted in your curbside recycling bin. These items must go in the trash, or in the case of plastic bags and clear plastic film, can be dropped off for recycling at participating stores.

Please avoid "wishful recycling", meaning that you put an item in your recycling cart because it feels like it should be recycled. This just leads to contamination, which leads to increased costs as recycling facilities need to hire more sorters and pay disposal fees for these items. This is a major issue, directly responsible for increasing recycling costs.

Reducing Waste

You may be familiar with the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Recycling is just one part of how we responsibly manage materials and waste. To conserve natural resources and protect the environment, it's important to reduce and reuse first, and then recycle right. The most important thing you as a consumer can do is to buy only what you need and minimize the use of single-use items, particularly those that cannot be recycled. Visit Clackamas County's website for ideas and strategies you can use to reduce and reuse: https://www.clackamas.us/recycling/reducereuserecycle.

What do I do with...?

Use Metro's Find a Recycler website to find where to recycle items not accepted in the curbside recycling program and organizations that take materials for reuse. If you have a specific question about recycling, hazardous waste disposal or waste prevention you can use this link to email a Metro recycling expert or call Metro at 503-234-3000.