Portland Multifamily Recycling is currently funded through a contract with the Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) and is CES's oldest project. Our work with the City of Portland began started in 1989 when PSU Professors Jerry Blake and Barry Messer and their students were awarded funding to implement a pilot program testing the viability of recycling programs for multifamily residential complexes (see more in the CES History section). The program continued for eight years, supplying access to recycling for ninety percent of Portland's multifamily residences. After this success the program began to focus more on continual service for participating residences and currently helps OSD service the city's 3700 Multifamily communities. For twelve years, project staff have provided educational outreach and support to communities, property managers and residents to implement or improve on-site recycling. The project has also helped study, implement and ensure the city-wide transformation to the new two-sort recycling system, as an example of multiple ways CES has conducted research, service and public outreach to increase multifamily recycling rates around the city.
Joel Hanson is the project coordinator and Amanda Watson is a field technical assistant on this project.
