In Portland, the items you can recycle are the same whether you are at home or at work. When you recycle correctly, more materials will get remanufactured into new things.

Top 6 items to keep out of your recycling container —throw them in your garbage or better yet, don’t buy them in the first place!

1. Plastic bags, plastic film and wrappers
2. Paper and plastic drink cups, straws and coffee cups
3. Frozen food boxes and trays
4. To-go containers and “clamshells”
5. Styrofoam™ blocks and foam peanuts
6. Diapers, of course!

Learn what’s in and what’s out

Get a guide in multiple languages or contact the Curbside Hotline at 503-823-7202.

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Over the past 18 months the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff have been talking with interested groups and individuals during topic-specific meetings and community walks along the river as well as at visioning sessions, open houses and meetings hosted by others. River planners used this information to the develop the River Plan / South Reach Discussion Draft. View the Discussion Draft here. Comments on the Discussion Draft are due on November 27, 2019.   

What’s in it?

The River Plan / South Reach is an update to the Willamette Greenway Plan for the south reach of the Willamette River. The Discussion Draft includes the following early recommendations:

Watershed Health and Resilience

• Apply new River Overlay zones, which include a 50-foot river setback and new bird-safe glazing, exterior lighting and landscaping requirements.
• Update floodplain development regulations to reduce flood risk and expand salmon and steelhead habitat.
• Identify habitat restoration opportunities in key river and upland areas. 

Recreation and Scenic Resources

• Increase access to in the Willamette Greenway Trail network.
• Complete planning and identify implementation funding for the Ross Island/Oaks Bottom/Sellwood Riverfront Park complex and the former Staff Jennings site. 
• Develop culturally specific City programming and activities.
• Allow a small amount of river recreation-supportive retail in three South Reach parks.
• Expand partnerships that address boater education, safety and enforcement.
• Designate and protect the unique views of the South Reach.

Tribal Engagement and Collaboration

• Work with tribal nations and the urban native community to identify culturally significant locations, natural resources and practices that honor and perpetuate tribal customs, traditions and culture. 

Riverfront Communities

• Ensure all nearby neighborhoods have safe and convenient access to the riverfront.
• Improve coordination and services to the houseless communities, while reducing impacts on natural resources.  

The documents will be posted on Monday, October 21, 2019.

Learn more at an open house

Project staff are hosting an open house to share information about the discussion draft and hear what community members have to say about it. Refreshments will be provided.

River Plan / South Reach Discussion Draft Open House
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019
9 - 11:30 a.m.
Center for Equity and Inclusion
5757 SW Macadam Avenue
Portland, OR
TriMet: #35

The Planning and Sustainability Commission and Design Commission will hold a public hearing on October 22, 2019, so Portlanders can testify on Design Overlay Zone Amendments (DOZA) that improve the design review process, standards and guidelines.

But what does design review even mean?

Design Review happens only in areas of town with a ‘d’ overlay. These areas are growing and will absorb much of the population and business growth over the next 20 to 30 years. So we want places like Sellwood and St Johns and busy transit corridors like Barbur Blvd to look and feel good to the people who live, work and play there. 

But not all projects go through design review. Depending on whether the project includes housing and meets requirements for size, projects may choose to follow an extra set of design standards in the Zoning Code.  If design review is required or chosen by applicants, smaller projects can be reviewed by City planners or – if they are big in scope and impact – the Design Commission must review their proposals. And whether with staff or the Commission, projects are evaluated based on design guidelines.

The Design Overlay Zone Amendments project is updating the code and guidelines to simplify the process and ensure better outcomes.

What’s in the Proposed Draft?

The DOZA Proposed Draft incorporates comments and changes provided from months (February 2019 thru May 2019) of outreach to individuals; bureaus, agencies, and commissions; organizations and advocacy groups; and neighborhood organizations.

Volume 1 includes a description of the proposals:

1. Purpose – What is the purpose of the Design overlay zone?
2. Map – Where is the Design overlay zone mapped?
3. Thresholds – What are the thresholds for review in the Design overlay zone?
4. Process – What is Design Review and how is it changing?
5. Tools – What are the tools used to evaluate projects in the Design overlay zone?

Read the Proposed Draft Documents.

Tell the Commissions what you think!

Portlanders are invited to testify to the PSC and Design Commission about the DOZA proposals before they make a recommendation to City Council.

How to testify

Testify in person at the public hearing

Your testimony will be added to the public record and is limited to  two minutes per person to allow the Commissioners to hear from everyone.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 5 p.m.
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Room 2500 (2nd floor)
Portland, Oregon 97201

Testify in writing until November 15 at 5 p.m.

Use the Map App:
www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/mapapp

Select Design Overlay Zone Amendments and click on the "Testify" button.Testifying in the Map App is as easy as sending an email. And once you press “submit,” you can see your testimony in the Testimony Reader in real time. You can also read other people’s testimony. 

Use U.S. Mail:
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission - DOZA Testimony
1900 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 7100
Portland, Oregon 97201

Commission briefing

On October 8, City staff gave a joint briefing to both the Planning and Sustainability Commission and the Design Commission on the DOZA Proposed Draft. This was followed by a discussion with the Commissioners, during which a few themes emerged. Specifically, Commissioners questioned staff on how the proposed Design Standards and Citywide Design Guidelines will address issues of context, equity and resiliency, in addition to continuing a tradition of design excellence in Portland’s rapidly growing centers and corridors.

Watch a video of the briefing

What’s next?

After they hear from the public, the Commissions will each deliberate on the parts of the proposal they will recommend to City Council. PSC will deliberate on all the code and map amendments (Volume 2) and Design Commission will deliberate on the design guidelines (Volume 3).

For more information …

• Contact: Phil Nameny at 503-823-7709, Phil.Nameny@portlandoregon.gov
• Visit: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/70324
• Email: doza@portlandoregon.gov

Attend a prescription drug disposal and shred event in Portland on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Drive, walk or bike and drop off your unwanted or expired prescription drugs and sensitive documents. Drugs will be safely incinerated and documents will be securely shredded on site. The event runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., or earlier if the trucks fill to capacity. Location: 4735 E. Burnside Street in Portland.

What’s accepted at the prescription drug disposal event?

Take this stuff: Prescription medications and samples, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, pet medications, medicated ointments, and liquid medication in leak-proof containers.

Don’t take this stuff: Thermometers, sharps, syringes, IV bags, bloody or infectious waste, hydrogen peroxide, aerosol cans, inhalers, EpiPens. To dispose of sharps, contact Metro at 503-234-3000 or through Find a Recycler.

What’s accepted at the shred event?

Take this stuff: Up to two grocery bags of documents.

Don’t take this stuff: Cardboard or three-ring binders.

Give back!

Sunshine Division barrels will be available for donations of canned food, dry pasta, and non-perishable food for needy families. Tax deduction forms will be provided.

Need to know exactly what to bring?

Check out the full list online.

From pumpkins and gourds to fallen tree fruit and pruned items, they all go in the green Portland Composts! roll cart. Yard debris includes weeds, leaves, vines, grass, flowers, plant clippings and small branches (less than 4 inches thick and 36 inches long). Large branches that may fall down during storms or stumps that are too big for your curbside container can be collected by your garbage and recycling company with advance notice (and extra fees) or taken to a recycling depot.

This is also the time of year to include seasonal food scraps like apple and pear cores and leftover or half-eaten candy (wrappers belong in the garbage).

From early November to mid-December, removing leaves from our streets is critical: Leaves clog storm drains, flood intersections and make streets slippery.

In Portland, the Leaf Day Districts and Schedule show residents where the highest concentration of mature street trees and leaves are located. The service covers 52 districts which is about one third of the city. These streets require more equipment and crew-power to clean and maintain. 

Don’t forget: There are roll cart weight limits, especially with heavy pumpkins and wet leaves. The 60-gallon green compost roll carts have a 135-pound limit.