A Cascade Disposal truck picks up curbside recycling carts in Bend. The city of Hermiston has plenty of questions to answer to implement curbside recycling by July 2025 to meet as state mandate.

HERMISTON — The Hermiston City Council will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, to discuss the implementation of curbside recycling within the city.

The city announced the work session in a press release May 23.

This discussion comes in response to the Oregon Legislature’s Recycling Modernization Act, which requires cities with populations of more than 4,000, to offer curbside recycling by July 1, 2025. Hermiston, population around 20,000, along with other Eastern Oregon cities such as Pendleton, Umatilla, and Boardman, are among the few that do not offer this service.

The act aims to shift the financial burden of recycling from end-users to producers through the establishment of Producer Responsibility Organizations. The state has designated the Circular Action Alliance, based in Washington, D.C., as the sole PRO responsible for collecting fees from producers and distributing funds to local governments to cover costs associated with recycling.

Key elements of the Recycling Modernization Act include the creation of a statewide list of recyclable materials to reduce confusion and contamination and the formation of PROs to manage funding. Since the passage of the act, significant progress has been made at the state level, including the establishment of the recyclable materials list.

In the spring of 2023, the state conducted a preliminary needs assessment with local governments to identify the requirements for implementing curbside recycling. Hermiston city staff collaborated with Sanitary Disposal Inc. and neighboring communities to complete this assessment, according to the city’s press release. The Circular Action Alliance is reviewing these assessments and requires more detailed information to refine cost estimates and establish fees for producers.

Key points the city council and staff will discuss during the work session include:

1. The status of the statewide list of recyclable materials.

2. CAA’s progress in staffing and planning with local governments.

3. The detailed information needed for the refined needs assessment.

4. The timeline for establishing producer fees and the availability of funds for local jurisdictions.

5. Potential options for Hermiston to meet the July 1, 2025, deadline, including borrowing funds for initial investments in recycling containers and trucks.

6. The challenges of determining end-markets for collected materials and planning for necessary infrastructure, such as regional reload facilities.

According to the city, the council will consider the complexities and financial implications of implementing curbside recycling to ensure compliance with the Recycling Modernization Act while addressing the needs and concerns of the community.