The City of Portland is updating the residential garbage and recycling franchise agreement with waste collection service providers and has opened a 30-day public comment period that ends on August 29.

 Please note: The only businesses impacted by Portland’s residential franchise system are home-based businesses. All other Portland businesses can choose any of the permitted waste collection companies (or "haulers") to work with. Unlike residential service, the City does not assign haulers or set rates.

 The residential garbage and recycling franchise agreement is a legally binding agreement that provides criteria for service rate setting, franchise territories, and service delivery of garbage and recycling services to Portland residents living in single-unit homes, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

 The following updates were developed through a public survey, staff recommendations, and engagement with garbage and recycling companies: 

• Including customer service expectations of franchisees 

• Improvements to promote equity in the system, via service delivery, workforce diversity and company ownership

• Provisions to accommodate a low-income assistance program, currently in development 

• Recognition of Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act adopted in 2022

• Incorporation of the City of Portland’s renewable fuel standard to further reduce the environmental impact of diesel use

• Alignment of confidentiality policy with Oregon Revised Statute 

 Find more information about the proposed updates at www.portland.gov/garbage-review  

The deadline for submitting comments is 5pm on August 29, 2023. Comments can be submitted by email to wasteinfo@portlandoregon.gov or by mail to Garbage and Recycling Franchise Review, 1810 SW 5th Ave., Suite 710 Portland, OR 97201.