How you can reduce your trash bill
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By Susan Mead, LOSN
The Lake Oswego garbage, recycling and yard debris with food waste rates have increased as of February 2025. The new rates are available to review at the city’s website: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/recycle/garbage
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There are several ways you can lower your monthly costs and take advantage of free services.
If you have weekly service for a 65-gallon or 90-gallon trash roll cart and usually do not fill it more than half full every week…
SOLUTION: Consider going to a smaller roll cart from what you currently have. A 35-gallon trash roll cart service is almost 50% cheaper than the two largest sizes.
You want to keep weekly service at your current roll-cart size because if you put food waste in yard debris bin, it gets too dirty/stinky…
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When: Saturday April 5th, from 10:00 am to 1:00pm
Where: Lake Oswego Adult Community Center, 505 G Avenue, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
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Repair Fairs are a great way to save money; get your cherished items back in shape and reduce waste. Come with clothes that need mending, small appliances, electronics, and toys so that expert volunteers will try to repair them for free!
How it works: Your item will be queued up in the order of your arrival. When a fixer is available, you explain what is wrong to help troubleshoot. Over 50% of the time they are able to repair the item. The most common reason for no repair is the lack of a replacement part.
The process often that takes a while, so bring a snack, something to drink and read. We have plenty of tables for you to relax or meet a neighbor while you wait.
Last year, 12 repair fairs were held throughout Clackamas County and many more are held in the greater Metro area. Clackamas County is collaborating with Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, City of Lake Oswego and Master Recyclers for this Repair Fair. We look forward to seeing you.
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Global Recycling Day Is March 18
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Recycling can be complex and frequently changing. Update yourself on the most current recycling guidelines from Clackamas County.
Let us know how much you recycle and your recycling challenges. Take this 2 minute survey:
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Additional Recycling Services Soon May Be Legal
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Collection of hard-to-recycle items by companies like Ridwell has been in violation of the City of Lake Oswego’s regulations. That may change as early as today, when the City Council votes on an ordinance to license these collection services.
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At their meeting earlier this month, the City Council held a public hearing to consider the ordinance establishing a new license program for companies providing additional recycling collection services in Lake Oswego. The City Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance tentatively and it directed staff to return March 18 to vote on the final version. It is expected to be approved.
For more details, read the full March 4th Staff report.
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Oregon’s new Recycling Modernization Act: Increasing trust and creating
profitable recycling services
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On July 1 of this year, Oregon will become the first state in the U.S. to launch a new recycling plan that will:
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- expand the number of things most of us can recycle,
- provide residential recycling pickup service to city and rural customers in all parts of the state,
- require owners and managers of multi-unit housing to provide recycling for residents,
- improve public education about recycling,
- require certification of recycling operations to verify that their products are really being recycled,
- enable upgrades to the facilities that process recycled materials, and
- require producers of plastic and paper products to form a Producer Cooperative through which they will pay part of the cost of recycling, enough to provide funding to enable recycling facilities to upgrade equipment and make up for fluctuations in market prices,
- spur changes in packaging as manufacturers discover that making packaging easy to recycle saves them money.
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For collectors, materials recycling facilities, final processors and especially manufacturers of plastic packaging and tableware, that means quite a change is coming. This bill will require manufacturers to share the cost of recycling plastics and paper products as well as help support and stabilize the recycling markets.
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Join us for the Lake Oswego Sustainability Resource Fair on April 6
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When: Sunday, April 6, 2025, 11 am – 2 pm
Where: River Grove Elementary, 5850 SW McEwan Rd., Lake Oswego
Discover hands-on ways to live sustainably and help our community thrive!
This FREE, all-ages event has something for everyone:
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- Explore practical ways to protect the environment, save money, and live well.
- Engage in hands-on activities, arts & crafts, and family-friendly fun.
- Give & receive free cycling and recreation equipment at Shifting Gears, Gifting Gears (S3G).
- Connect with local sustainability groups and learn how to make a lasting impact.
- Tour the new River Grove Elementary School, a model of resilient, sustainable school design!
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