Buckle up, readers. We've got a lot to cover! 

In this roundup:

* County approves waste processing facility
* Registration now open for BRING 2024 Student Product Design Challenge
* New Community Plastics Collection Program guidelines make recycling certain plastics easier
* Winter 2024 Fix-It Fairs hosted by Toolbox Project & city of Eugene * Lane County awarded $400,000 USDA grant to reduce, divert food waste from landfills * 2024 Sustainable Citizen Project kicking off soon * Art exhibit showcases recycled art, offers free Guide to Used Goods * OSU Extension Service offers free composting workshops * New Lane County sustainability education website moving forward

County approves waste processing facility

 Lane County may soon break ground on the country’s most technologically advanced waste processing facility. 

This past December, the Lane County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 to build a state-of-the-art Integrated Material and Energy Recovery Facility (IMERF) in Goshen.

 The IMERF will process residential garbage and commingled recycling to produce marketable recycling commodities and biogas for transportation, annually diverting more than 80,000 tons of waste—or a quarter of the trash currently going to the landfill. The project will also help the county directly address goals outlined in its Climate Action and Solid Waste Management Plans.

This new facility would utilize technology and equipment designed and made by a local manufacturer, Bulk Handling Systems (BHS). The county and BHS are working out the final contract details for a project that could begin operation as soon as 2026.

 “It’s a facility that captures methane from organics before they enter the landfill, helping to address the climate crisis head-on,” said Jeff Orlandini, Waste Management Division Manager. “Additionally, it will serve as a regional recycling hub for southwest Oregon.”

Effect on garbage rates

“Lane County has some of the lowest garbage rates in Oregon,” said Orlandini. “Starting with low rates, rate increases needed for project funding should have a minimal impact on residential customers.”

Lane County proposes 8 percent fee increases in 2024 and 2025, followed by 6 percent increases in 2026 and 2027. This does not include the annual 3 percent fee increase that helps Lane County maintain current service levels. The annual 3 percent increase is not related to the IMERF.

The landfill disposal cost is approximately 20 percent of a customer’s residential garbage bill. For most residents, these increases would amount to less than a $3 monthly increase in the project’s first four years.

The county is seeking federal and state funding to help offset future increases.

Rate impacts for commercial customers vary depending on the waste amounts generated. Estimates provided by a large local hauler estimate average annual increases of 3 percent for the next four years for most commercial customers.

Low-income assistance is proposed to offset fee increases for self-haul customers at each of Lane County’s 15 transfer stations. Residents qualifying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would receive $1 off each load with their Oregon Trail (EBT) Card.

A public-private partnership

The IMERF will showcase an innovative 25-year partnership between BHS and Lane County in which Lane County owns the land and the building while BHS purchases and operates the IMERF equipment.

Project features

• Advanced materials processing equipment to recover recyclable materials from solid waste.
• Sorting equipment for commingled recycling to reduce long-haul shipment of locally collected recycling for processing.
• Anaerobic digester to convert recovered organic wastes into renewable natural gas (RNG) for transportation fuel.
• Visitor and Educational Center for schools, community groups, other interested residents, and businesses.
  

Project benefits 

• Methane emission reductions would create a reduction equivalent to taking 20,000 cars off the road for 25 years.
• The project would extend the remaining life of the landfill by 20-plus years.
• The IMERF would generate more than 1 million diesel gallon equivalents per year of renewable natural gas, available for local transportation fleets.
• The IMERF is a two-year construction project utilizing local companies, creating 190 high-paying manufacturing jobs during construction and 65 ongoing family-wage jobs for facility operation for the next 25 years.
• An estimated $270 million in economic impacts benefiting Lane County

For more information—including a cost breakdown—visit lanecountyor.gov/IMERF or email [email protected].

Registration now open for BRING 2024 Student Product Design Challenge

BRING is looking for students who are ready to unleash their inner inventors!

Here's the challenge: Design and build the coolest, most practical product using donated building materials from BRING. Think furniture, games, art installations–let your creativity run wild! Working with reclaimed building materials, students gain waste prevention skills that promote reuse and sustainable material management in their daily lives. The more innovative the design, the better!

The competition is open to all Lane County students in grades K-12, and registration ends March 4. Register here!

Students can either work individually or in teams. Limited to the first 50 registrations! Each registration will receive $50 Challenge Cash redeemable for any used building materials at the Planet Improvement Center.

BRING will be awarding CASH PRIZES for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each age group, plus a People’s Choice award decided by our Facebook followers. Winning products, as well as selected additional projects, will have the opportunity to be showcased in the BRING gallery space in June 2024.

Visit the challenge webpage for more information on how it works. Still have questions? Email the BRING Educator directly.

New Community Plastics Collection Program guidelines make recycling certain plastics easier

Lane County’s Community Plastics Collection (CPC) program—a specialized plastics recycling program that compliments traditional curbside and county transfer station recycling options—announces new rules to simplify recycling certain plastics.

The CPC program, which started in 2019 in response to the dramatic reduction in recycling options in 2018, includes over 150 registered community collectors that accept #2, #4, and #5 plastics that cannot go into curbside bins.

The CPC collection stream is separate from the #1 and #2 plastics streams collected at county transfer stations and by most county curbside waste haulers. Since its inception, the CPC has collected more than 88,000 pounds of consumer plastic for processing at Denton Plastics in Portland.

“The CPC program is highly selective, as only clean and dry #2, #4, and #5 tubs, lids, bottles, and jugs are accepted,” said Susan Kittleson, who manages the CPC program. “Additionally, items must also be stamped and presorted by shape and number.”

Traditionally, another big difference between the CPC program and standard curbside collection was the CPC requirement to remove labels from plastic containers, which could be onerous for program participants. However, Denton Plastics recently eliminated its requirements for label removal.

“Labels can remain on except for prescription bottles,” Kittleson said. “Prescription bottle labels must have all personal information removed, either by removing the labels or by blacking out all personal data.”

Kittleson said these new guidelines could provide a significant opportunity for those who want to recycle more than what the mainstream recycling system allows.

“Label removal was a real barrier for many because it takes a lot of time,” Kittleson said. “Now, more people may be inclined to participate.”

 Currently, most CPC collectors live in Eugene, Springfield, and Florence, Kittleson said. The county is seeking collection volunteers in Junction City, Lorane, Creswell, Cottage Grove, East Springfield, and Veneta.

Those interested in becoming a registered community collector or program recycler can email [email protected] with your name, address, and phone number or visit lanecountyor.gov/plasticscollection to learn more.
Winter 2024 Fix-It Fairs hosted by Toolbox Project & city of Eugene  

Gather your broken stuff and get it repaired for free over the next two months, as Toolbox Project and the city of Eugene put on three fix-it fairs. 

Fix-It Fairs promote reuse and repair by offering participants opportunities to have household items repaired by volunteer fixers. Participants can watch and learn repair skills, discover local repair resources, and extend the life of household items—keeping more stuff out of the trash and saving money.

Volunteers are requested for three repair events. Use the links below to sign up as a fixer, shepherd, greeter/registration, event set-up and break-down.

 Youth Fix-It Fair

Saturday, Feb. 10 | 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Spark on 7th | 22 W. 7th. Ave., Eugene | Volunteer: www.signup.com/go/eeznviO
Big Fix-It Fair

Sunday, Feb. 25: 12:00 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Farmers Market Pavilion | 85 E. 8th Ave., Eugene | Volunteer: www.signup.com/go/iSTUmmC
Home Show Fix-It Fair

Saturday, March 9: 12 p.m.–4 p.m. | Lane Events Center Mtg. Room 2 | 796 W. 13th Ave., Eugene | Volunteer: www.signup.com/go/iPPGikX

Lane County awarded $400,000 USDA grant to reduce, divert food waste from landfills

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $11.5 million in 38 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The program is jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The recommended projects will be implemented between now and 2026.

We are pleased to announce that Lane County was among the grant recipients spanning 23 states.

Lane County’s project will address a missing element in the current Lane County food waste reduction plan: ensuring that an increasing supply of commercially produced food-waste compost is accessible to more county residents, particularly in historically underserved rural communities. The proposed program will provide funding for purchasing and delivering compost to Lane County agricultural producers. Lane County will also host one Free Compost Day in four selected cities over the next two years.
2024 Sustainable Citizen Project kicking off soon Optimism, collaboration, and action are the keystones for a new class offered by Lane County Waste Management Division and the Master Recycler Program. Residents will learn about the highest impact categories and the 'right now' solutions to use materials wisely. Participants will focus on solutions that achieve the most significant beneficial impact. Email [email protected] to learn more.

• Online class meets twice weekly: April 2 to May 30, on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to Noon and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
• In-person class meets once weekly: April 3 to May 29 at the Waste Management Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  
• The online group and in-person groups attend tours together.

Class approach: Facilitated discussion on weekly topics, short videos demonstrating solutions related to the week's issue, small group collaboration, a few select presenters, and tours from folks' doing the work'. Participants will research one topic and present findings to the class.

Art exhibit showcases recycled art, offers free Guide to Used Goods