With the holiday season in full swing, the City of Portland is reminding residents of some changes and tips regarding garbage and recycling collection schedules and how to properly dispose of festive waste. According to an announcement on the city's official website, collection for those with Thursday and Friday service will be delayed by one day due to Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Thursdays; consequently, Friday collections will take place on Saturday.
To keep the yuletide cheer and city streets clean, here's what you need to know about sorting your holiday remnants, the city advises using its free garbage day reminder services through various channels for the updated schedules. If your recycling bin is already brimming with festive materials, residents can bundle excess cardboard—making sure the bundles are secured and set against the blue bin; even though there's no extra fee for additional cardboard, you're encouraged to try fitting it inside your bin first to prevent littering and collection delays.
When it comes to waste management, not all items can be tossed in the same bin. Garbage should include envelopes with plastic padding, foil or glitter-covered wrapping paper, and string lights, as per the city's official website. Alternatively, paper wrapping material and cardboard are recyclable—but remember to remove all decorations before composting your holiday trees.
Batteries should be handled with extra care because they pose a fire risk and should never be placed in regular trash or recycling bins. The city also notes that apartments and businesses can contact Metro's recycling information center for the safe disposal of batteries. So if you've got a holiday snack that’s gone south or a pine branch that's browned, those can go straight into the compost. As for oversized items and extra trash, the city has provisions in place, with charges applied for certain types of waste, like an old bulky sofa you've replaced with a shiny new one, or perhaps the traditional after-Christmas rubble—when every present has been opened and every dinner has been served.
Lastly, remember that if you're a renter, you should check with your landlord before setting out bulky items or extra bags of waste. If you’re in an apartment, you can call or visit the city site to find the nearest drop-off location for your Christmas tree; and regardless of your housing situation, you can always choose to donate unneeded items rather than discard them, because after all, one person's trash is another's treasure.
