Love
Means
Action
Showing love for Portland means caring for the places we share. Whether it's picking up litter, recycling correctly, volunteering at a cleanup, or making more sustainable choices, every action helps create a cleaner, more vibrant city.
Below are simple ways to make a difference through sustainability tips, stories of local impact, SOLVE initiatives, and volunteer cleanup opportunities throughout Portland.
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What You Can Do
Keep it Up!
Portland’s recycling rate is 44%--above the national average of 32%. Recycle and compost all you can.
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Food Waste
12% of what ends up in the landfill is food waste. When you’re at home, remember to put your organics like plate scrapings, paper coffee filters, eggshells, and even bones in the green compost bin.
Sort Carefully
9% of what we toss in our recycling bins is not recyclable. Keep plastic bags, Styrofoam, batteries, dirty diapers, garden hoses and cords out of the blue bin.​
Volunteer
There are cleanup projects happening in all corners of the city throughout the year. ​​​​​Check out our event calendar here.​
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Takeout
Remember, plastic clamshell takeout containers are one of the biggest contaminants in our recycling stream. We know you hate to do it, but put them in the trash.
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Compost
16% of what we send to the landfill in Oregon is paper. Remember you can put pizza boxes in your green curbside compost bin.
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BYOS
Volunteers are encouraged to bring any personal supplies that will help our resources go further. This includes work gloves, buckets, grabbers, or other helpful tools.
Bottles
14% of what we send to the landfill is plastics. Put the lid on your beverage bottles and recycle them in your blue recycling bin.
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Paper
​About 10% of what we throw in the trash is recyclable paper. Remember to flatten your shipping boxes and place them in your blue recycling bin.​
SOLVE is a pre-certified state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Check out more resources and ideas for taking action in your community by visiting their site.
Partners
