November 2025
Programs & News – Oregon & Washington
NWPSC ANNUAL RETREAT: LEARNING FROM OREGON’S PACKAGING EPR IMPLEMENTATION
The NWPSC held its Annual Retreat on November 14 at the Washington Dept. of Ecology’s Headquarters in Lacey, WA. This year’s retreat focused on how Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act—an EPR program for packaging, paper products, and food serviceware—has been implemented. Staff from Oregon DEQ and local governments including Metro, the City of Beaverton, the City of Portland, the City of Eugene, Lane County, and Washington County shared valuable insights and experiences that will help local governments in Washington prepare for implementation of the Recycling Reform Act (EPR for Packaging & Paper Products), which passed this year.
 EPR represents a paradigm shift that can be challenging for local governments. Local governments are used to being responsible for their own recycling programs and education and outreach; under EPR, the costs and content of recycling programs are shared with the Producer Responsibility Organization. A new form of collaboration and balance needs to be developed and established. This will take time, and not all local governments have adequate staff and resources during implementation, but it is also an opportunity to learn from each other and leverage that experience to improve current programs and make them more efficient. The NWPSC can serve as a network of professionals that shares experiences and resources with local governments across Oregon and Washington to help them implement EPR.
RECYCLEON OREGON OPENS FIRST HARD-TO-RECYCLE DROP-OFF SITE
A recent article in Resource Recycling reports that Oregon’s first RecycleOn Oregon hard-to-recycle drop-off site has opened in Ashland, providing a preview of how producer-funded infrastructure can expand options for residents. Operated by Recology in partnership with Circular Action Alliance—the PRO administering Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act—the site accepts materials that are not typically allowed in curbside carts, such as plastic film, expanded polystyrene foam, shredded paper, and certain rigid plastics.
The first RecycleOn Center in Oregon at the Recology Ashland Recycling Center (photo from RecycleOn)
The Ashland location is the first of more than 140 drop-off sites planned statewide under Oregon’s packaging EPR law. Producers of covered packaging and paper products will fund the network as part of their obligations to improve recycling access, support a uniform materials list, and increase recovery of challenging materials. As the system scales up through 2027, RecycleOn Oregon offers NWPSC members an early look at how hard-to-recycle materials can be addressed through EPR-funded, free-to-resident collection hubs.
OREGON E-CYCLES PROGRAM MOVES TOWARD 2026 RELAUNCH
Oregon is preparing to launch a modernized Oregon E-Cycles program on Jan. 1, 2026, under HB 3220 (2023), which expands the types of electronic devices accepted for recycling and strengthens convenience requirements for program services. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will oversee implementation and review program plans from Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to ensure they meet statutory requirements. Two PROs—Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations and MRM—submitted program plans to DEQ for the 2026 program year by the July 1, 2025 deadline. DEQ issued response letters to both organizations on Aug. 29, 2025, and has since received revised plans, which are now under review. Oregon currently has more than 180 collection sites across the state, and prospective PROs are working with these sites to ensure a steady transition into the new program starting in 2026.
Manufacturers of covered electronic devices must continue to register with DEQ, submit sales data annually, designate a PRO, and fund the program, while retailers must follow requirements for selling covered devices in or into Oregon. For more information—including manufacturer obligations, active collection sites, convenience standard guidance, and DEQ’s response letters—visit the Oregon E-Cycles “E-Cycles 2026” page.
Programs & News – Other States
TEXTILE RENEWAL ALLIANCE LAUNCHES AS PROSPECTIVE TEXTILE PRO IN CALIFORNIA
Textile Renewal Alliance, a new 501(c)(3) non-profit backed by the California Retailers Association, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, and the National Retail Federation, has officially launched its brand and website as a prospective Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for California’s Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (SB 707). The group aims to support textile producers in meeting their EPR obligations by designing programs that prioritize collection, repair, reuse, and recycling of apparel and other textile articles. CalRecycle must approve a textile PRO by March 1, 2026, following a January 1, 2026 application deadline. In the lead-up, Textile Renewal Alliance is engaging producers and stakeholders through educational resources, a needs assessment on current textile recovery infrastructure, and the launch of its California Implementation Working Group, which will advise the Board on program design and continuous improvement if the group is selected as the PRO. Local governments and other stakeholders with experience in textile management or related environmental and social justice issues are encouraged to learn more and apply via textilerenewalalliance.org.
PSI AND ISPA LAUNCH NATIONAL MATTRESS EPR DIALOGUE
The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) and the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) have launched a joint mattress dialogue to update the mattress EPR policy model for use in multiple states. According to PSI’s, the dialogue will bring together state and local governments, mattress manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, and other stakeholders to identify what is working in existing mattress stewardship programs and where improvements are needed. The goal is to develop an updated consensus model that addresses key issues such as sustainable funding, equitable access to collection, rural service, performance standards, and coordination with existing solid waste and HHW systems. The dialogue will include a series of virtual meetings and opportunities for stakeholder input over the coming year.
CRITICS WARN B.C. MATTRESS POLICY SHIFT COULD INCREASE COSTS
Recent reporting from Business in Vancouver highlights concerns about British Columbia’s decision to pause a planned shift toward greater producer responsibility for mattresses. The province has delayed moving disposal costs from local governments and residents to mattress producers under changes being considered to its recycling regulations, citing affordability and other implementation concerns.
Critics quoted in the article, including local recycling operators and policy experts, argue that halting this transition will ultimately cost people more by keeping high handling and disposal costs on municipalities and ratepayers, while limiting investment in dedicated mattress recycling infrastructure. Mattresses are bulky, expensive to manage at transfer stations and landfills, and often illegally dumped, making them a strong candidate for EPR solutions that fund collection, processing, and public education. For NWPSC members, B.C.’s experience offers a real-time example of the trade-offs when jurisdictions pause or slow product stewardship approaches for difficult-to-manage items. For NWPSC members, B.C.’s experience offers a cautionary example: delaying or reversing mattress EPR can leave communities bearing high disposal costs and limit investment in more sustainable, statewide recycling systems.
 BRITISH COLUMBIA APPROVES NEXT GENERATION OF PACKAGING EPR PLAN
In a recent decision, British Columbia’s Ministry of Environment and Parks formally approved the updated Packaging & Paper Product Extended Producer Responsibility Plan for Recycle BC. The approval, granted September 17, 2025, means the new program plan is effective immediately. This update follows years of dialogue: the original plan was submitted in April 2023, and subsequent revisions were informed by feedback from the Ministry, industry, and public engagement. With this renewal, BC continues to push forward as one of North America’s more mature EPR systems, focusing on continuous improvement, stronger performance commitments, and clearer accountability mechanisms. For partners in Canada and the U.S., BC’s evolution offers lessons in how a long-running EPR program can adapt over time without losing momentum.
INDUSTRY GROUPS ASK DOJ TO WEIGH IN ON STATE EPR LAWS
Two national trade associations are calling for federal involvement in state packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) recently urged the U.S. Department of Justice to “harmonize” varying state EPR laws, arguing that inconsistent rules create economic and regulatory challenges for producers. Similarly, the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) submitted comments warning that differing state EPR requirements may conflict with interstate commerce. Meanwhile, the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is leading a multi-state Packaging EPR Harmonization Task Force that brings together governments, producers, and recyclers to align key program elements through collaboration rather than federal intervention. Read more in Plastics News and ILMA’s statement.
Events & Webinars
Association of Oregon Recyclers (AOR) Winter Forum
Dreaming of Solutions for Mattress Recycling in British Columbia
-
Join Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) for this year’s Policy Forum where they will provide a preview of upcoming bills and an opportunity to hear directly from legislators and regulators!
-
This event will be hybrid in-person at Federal Way City Hall with a virtual option for those who are unable to attend. There will also be an in-person watch hub on the Eastside at WM’s SMaRT Center in Spokane (limited capacity). Register now to save your spot!
-
Federal Way City Hall (Main Location, In-Person): 33325 8th Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003
-
WM SMaRT Center (Eastside Hub, In-Person): 2902 S Geiger Blvd, Spokane, WA 99224
-
Register HERE! Free for members, $10 for non-members.
-
December 11, 2025
-
9am – 12pm Pacific
Navigating Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act: LCAs as part of EPR
41st Annual SWANA Northwest Regional Symposium
2026 Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA) Conference
Engage with the Northwest Product Stewardship Council. Add your voice and join the Northwest Product Stewardship Council (NWPSC) as an Associate, Steering or Community member. Follow the NWPSC on Twitter (@StewardshipNW) for product stewardship information from Washington, Oregon and elsewhere.
|
