Recycling Service in Portland, Oregon
Portland Disposal & Recycling, Inc. is your trusted partner for sustainable waste solutions, proudly serving Portland since 1936. Our residential recycling services make it easy for households to reduce waste and contribute to a greener community. With a 60-gallon blue “Portland Recycles!” roll cart for mixed recyclables and a yellow bin for glass, we provide convenient, weekly curbside pickup tailored to your needs. Whether you’re recycling paper, plastic, metal, or glass, our family-operated business ensures your materials are processed responsibly. Join us in keeping Portland clean and sustainable by following our simple recycling guidelines below.
Recycling Instructions for Portland Residents
Portland Disposal provides residential customers with regular garbage service, a 60-gallon blue “Portland Recycles!” roll cart for mixed recycling, and a yellow bin for glass. Roll your cart to the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day when it’s comfortably full—no need to take it out weekly if it’s not full. Ensure containers are visible, accessible, and separated by at least 12 inches. For glass, place items loosely in the yellow bin next to your blue cart, without bagging. These steps help our team efficiently collect and process your recyclables, supporting Portland’s sustainability goals.
Just Looking to Recycle in Portland?
If you don’t need garbage collection, you can still sign up for weekly recycling-only service. This option is perfect for eco-conscious residents focused on reducing waste. Call us at (503) 281-8736, and we’ll answer your questions and help you choose the right service level. Our team is dedicated to making recycling accessible, ensuring every household can contribute to a cleaner Portland without hassle.
Plastic Recycling Guidelines
Recycle plastic containers with a neck or screw-on lid (6 oz. or larger), margarine or yogurt tubs (6 oz. or larger), rigid plant pots (4 inches or larger), and buckets (5 gallons or smaller). These items are processed into new products, reducing landfill waste. Do not recycle plastic lids, bags, deli containers, blister packs, Styrofoam, or bottles that have held motor oil, pesticides, or herbicides, as these contaminate the recycling stream and require special disposal.
Paper Recycling Guidelines
Recycle newspapers, phone books, magazines, flattened cardboard, office paper, junk mail, milk cartons, aseptic boxes, and miscellaneous paper like cereal boxes, egg cartons, and non-foil wrapping paper or greeting cards. Place shredded paper in a paper bag to prevent litter during collection. Avoid recycling freezer food cartons, coffee cups, food-contaminated materials, paper towels, or tissues, as these cannot be processed and compromise the quality of recycled paper products.
Metal Recycling Guidelines
Recycle tin and steel food cans (no need to flatten or remove labels), clean aluminum foil, empty dry metal paint cans, empty aerosol cans, and scrap metal (smaller than 30” by 8” and under 30 lbs.). For small items like lids or hardware, place them in a tin can and crimp the ends to secure them. Do not include metal items exceeding 30 lbs. or 30 inches, as these require alternative disposal methods to ensure safe handling.
Glass Bottle and Jar Recycling
Use the provided yellow bin for glass bottles and jars, placing them loosely without bagging. Do not put glass in the blue cart, as it must be processed separately to maintain purity. Avoid recycling light bulbs, drinking glasses, flower vases, broken glass, or lids, as these contaminate the glass recycling stream and pose safety risks during collection.
Motor Oil Recycling Instructions
To recycle motor oil, place it in a clear plastic bottle with a screw-on lid, such as a gallon milk jug, and set it beside your blue cart. This ensures safe collection and proper disposal, preventing environmental contamination. Never pour motor oil into recycling carts or down drains, as it requires specialized handling.
Portland Disposal & Recycling, Inc., is committed to helping residents recycle responsibly. Contact us to start or adjust your recycling service and keep Portland green.
Frequently Asked Questions: Residential Recycling
How Do I Prepare My Recycling for Pickup?
Place your blue roll cart and yellow glass bin curbside by 6 a.m., ensuring they’re 12 inches apart, visible, and accessible. Only set out when full; weekly placement isn’t required.
Can I Recycle Without Garbage Service?
Yes, we offer recycling-only service for residents. Call (503) 281-8736 to set up weekly collection of recyclables, tailored to your needs.
What Plastics Are Not Accepted?
Avoid recycling plastic bags, lids, deli containers, Styrofoam, or bottles contaminated with oil or chemicals, as these disrupt processing and harm recycling quality.
How Should I Handle Shredded Paper?
Place shredded paper in a paper bag to prevent it from scattering during collection, ensuring it’s recycled properly without littering.
Why Is Glass Separated in a Yellow Bin?
Glass requires separate processing to maintain purity. Use the yellow bin for bottles and jars only, keeping it out of the blue cart to avoid contamination.
Portland Disposal & Recycling, Inc. (Portland, Oregon), (503) 281-8736, is dedicated to sustainable recycling. Contact us to start or adjust your service.
Customer Reviews
★★★★★
Great company with great customer service. I first talked to Trina, whom was very pleasant. I then spoke with Mellissa who got me all set up and answered all my questions with a phone Smile. I do forget the drivers name, but he did tell me he was one of the owners. He was great to work with as well. The company did what they said they were going to do and charged what they said they were going to charge . They were on time with the delivery. I requested for the bin to be picked up early (last minute) and they came the next morning. I would definitely recommend this company for disposal needs, and will use them again if needed in the future
– Joseph B.
★★★★★
Their team is the best! I've had to call a couple of times (new service, change of garbage can) and the person who helped me was absolutely wonderful. I never thought I'd be laughing on a call with the garbage company, but it was the highlight of my Monday! Thank you for having such a fantastic team, especially for the residential calls!
– Krista
★★★★★
Great customer service with a reliable and straight forward weekly pick-up schedule. Highly recommend! Portland Disposal and Recycling also offers affordable dumpster rentals with short-notice delivery for all of your home renovation needs. My only regret was not getting a bigger dumpster ;)
– Lucia K.
★★★★★
Dumpster Rental was great. I am totally happy with our weekly service from Portland Disposal so when we had a large amount of construction debris from a house remodel I called them. Melissa was very helpful and we set up delivery for the next day and pick up 3 days later. The dumpster arrived by 8:30 we had it filled by 9:30 and so I called to request an earlier pick up. The gentleman must have arrived while we had stepped out to the store because it was gone by 11:30. Great service. The man who dropped it off had a tricky angle in which to park it in our back driveway. Maneuvered it easily and put it in a handy location for us and, he obviously maneuvered it out of there too. Highly recommend.
– Ruth P.
★★★★★
I’ve not ever had a problem with Waste Management. They are on time and have never missed a pickup. I try to put my bins in order so they can pick up easily, or at least I think I do, bc I can only imagine some of the situations that occur for them on the daily. They also have very responsive pleasant customer service reps.
– Tashina L.
★★★★★
I've honestly never thought about reviewing the garbage company, but jumped online and saw they only had 2 stars! I'm figuring people only take the time to review after they've had an issue and they're super mad.... but I've found Portland Disposal & Recycling to be reliable and they've not done anything to call negative attention to what they're doing on a day-to-day basis. The best service companies are the ones that do the job right and don't require any thought whatsoever on the part of the customer.
– Nicole M.
★★★★★
Great company with great customer service. I first talked to Trina, whom was very pleasant. I then spoke with Mellissa who got me all set up and answered all my questions with a phone Smile. I do forget the drivers name, but he did tell me he was one of the owners. He was great to work with as well. The company did what they said they were going to do and charged what they said they were going to charge . They were on time with the delivery. I requested for the bin to be picked up early (last minute) and they came the next morning. I would definitely recommend this company for disposal needs, and will use them again if needed in the future
– Joseph B.
★★★★★
Their team is the best! I've had to call a couple of times (new service, change of garbage can) and the person who helped me was absolutely wonderful. I never thought I'd be laughing on a call with the garbage company, but it was the highlight of my Monday! Thank you for having such a fantastic team, especially for the residential calls!
– Krista