Free drop-off center for hard-to-recycle materials opens in Ashland—first in nation

The Jefferson Exchange

FILE: In June 2020, Hillsboro Far West Recycling workers look for plastic bags and plastics wraps in recycled materials to avoid jamming the sorting machine and delaying work. Oregon's new recycling program that launches in July 2025 will create a network of drop-off sites where people can take hard-to-recycle materials like plastic bags.(Monica Samayoa / OPB )

Ashland leads the way in opening the first free hard-to-recycle drop center in the nation. More than 140 more sites expected to open across Oregon. Joining the Exchange to offer more insight is Alex Bertolucci, the Oregon Communications Manager at Circular Action Alliance.

The Ashland site is the first of its kind in the country that is funded by the brands and companies that make packaging and paper products. Oregon is the first of several states where the cost of recycling no longer falls solely on local governments and customers. Instead, brands that make and sell packaging and paper products now help cover the cost of recycling those materials. Learn more RecycleOn.org/Oregon.