Assistance for Property Managers at Multifamily Communities

Oregon’s Opportunity to Recycle Act requires property managers of multifamily communities with 5+ units to:

• provide residents with access to recycling (mixed and glass) and
• educate residents at move-in and at least annually, thereafter.

We can help by offering recycling resources and services to meet the unique needs of your community.

Request Outreach Materials and Assistance

We offer free recycling resources and services to meet the unique needs of multifamily communities. This includes:

• recycling guides for new resident move-in packets — available in seven languages,
• easy-to-read recycling stickers for bins and signs for enclosures,
• presentations, trainings, and events for residents of multifamily communities,
• and more!

Multifamily Garbage & Recycling Improvements

Regionally, we recognize that multifamily communities face challenges with garbage and recycling that single-family homes don’t. Together, we are trying to help with a number of improvements outlined in the 2030 Regional Waste Plan:

• Minimum Service
  All garbage and recycling will be collected at least weekly. Multifamily property managers/owners will still need to provide “adequate” service, and new per unit minimum (and recommended) volumes will help right-size service (use our online service calculator).
• Regional Signage
  By 2024, all multifamily bins in the Tri-County area will have consistent, image-based garbage and recycling signage.
• Bulky Waste Collection
  By July 1, 2025, multifamily communities will have “regularly-occurring bulky waste collection.” (Research, pilots*, and engagement of interested parties will help inform this service.)
• Color Standards
  By July 1, 2028, all multifamily garbage and recycling bins throughout the tri-county area will be consistently colored: garbage will be gray/black, recycling blue, glass orange, and yard debris/food waste (when available) green.

For additional details, view our Multifamily Regional Service Standard Improvements Summary Flyer. 

* View the report from a completed pilot - ClackCo Multifamily Bulky Waste Pilot 2021.

Stay Connected

Sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter to receive hints, tips and reminders for property managers, staff and residents. Content can be shared, copied and inserted into your own community newsletters.

Sign up for Multifamily eNewsletter

Past Editions

• Fall 2022
• Summer 2022
• Winter/Spring 2022
• Fall/Winter 2021

Tips for Success

Download our waste reduction and recycling rating tool to help identify opportunities for improvement in your community.

Calculate your score

Having a successful garbage and recycling system in your community benefits everyone: property managers, residents, maintenance staff and the collector. It can also help keep your costs manageable and predictable. Below are a few things you can do to get your community off on the right foot (don’t hesitate to contact us for help):

• Ensure garbage, recycling and glass are available on-site (studies show for best results, place all three containers together).
• “Right-size your service” — make sure you have enough container space (no overflow), but not too much (consistently empty space adds to your costs).
• Encourage residents to recycle correctly by providing educational materials.
• Don’t let overflow or bulky waste accumulate — it only encourages more! Contact your garbage and recycling company for pick-up.
• Reuse is a great alternative to waste — plan an annual or ongoing swap event for residents to exchange unwanted items (large or small) or encourage the use of online platforms like Facebook Marketplace, BuyNothing, etc.

Bulky waste

To effectively manage bulky waste (large, unwanted items, like sofas and TVs), have a plan:

• Request a customized Bulky Waste Flyer to give to residents at move-out for donation and disposal options. 
• Designate a place for residents to place their bulky items that does not cause safety concerns or block access to garbage and recycling.
• Develop a cost-sharing plan for residents and property managers to split the cost of disposal of large, unwanted items.

Contact us! We can help you troubleshoot. 

Dispose of Waste

• Illegal dumping and theft of service can be costly for a property owner. Contact your garbage & recycling company for pick-up. To help deter illegal dumping at your community:
  • Post Signs — Citing ORS may help
    • Theft of Service (ORS 164.125): using garbage and recycling containers or service without explicit permission
    • Illegal Dumping or Offensive Littering (ORS 164.805): discarding of trash or other debris, without permission, on public or private property
• Send Letters — If you find mail with an address, send a letter stating that it is illegal for non-residents to use the bins
• E-cycles (desktop computers, laptops, monitors, TVs and printers)
• Fluorescent lamp recycling
• Hazardous waste
• Donate usable building materials, appliances and fixtures
• Search Metro’s Find A Recycler website for Disposal and Donation options
• Shopping Cart Return: Not all stores participate in these collection services, so you may need to contact the store directly
  • Regionally: Northwest Grocery Association Cart Retrieval Service at 503-899-2475
  • In Oregon City
  • In Milwaukie

Opportunities for Multifamily Communities

• Incentives offered through Energy Trust of Oregon for energy-saving retrofits such as window replacements, insulation, sealing gaps and cracks, and heating and cooling systems.
• Purchase discounted paint through MetroPaint.
• Become a Leader in Sustainability and join the network of other sustainable businesses in Clackamas County.