Recology lands Metro solid waste contract, pledges sustainability

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Metro, the Portland area’s regional government, has a new operator for its Northwest Portland solid waste transfer station.

The agency signed a $38 million, seven-year contract with Recology Oregon Recovery Inc. Metro believes the contract, to operate its central waste transfer station, will help the region double its recycling output, increase sustainability efforts and provide more jobs and benefits at the waste station level.

The move means Metro has changed waste transfer station operators for the first time since 1990, when it first agreed to work with Allied Waste Transfer Services of Oregon LLC.

Recology will collect trash and recyclable materials from area commercial waste haulers, businesses and residents. The company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and will add 13 workers to its 46-employee staff, according to a Metro release.

The company hopes to help Metro double the current recycling rate from 17 percent to 34 percent by the end of the contract’s first year, then to 40 percent by 2017. Recology also plans to accept such new recyclable materials as asphalt roofing and clean drywall.

Recology also pledged to run its station solely on wind power purchased through PGE’s Clean Wind program, as well as use the least-toxic solvents and lubricants available for equipment maintenance.

Metro is also mulling bids from Recology, Allied Waste and GreenWaste Zanker to operate its Oregon City transfer station.

The full evaluation report on proposals for both transfer stations can be found online via the Metro website along with more information about Metro’s transfer stations.