May 16, 2019

Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Bonamici: Portland an Ideal “Pilot City “for New Eco-Packaging Effort

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici this week urged UPS and TerraCycle to consider Portland as a pilot city for its eco-friendly Loop system that reduces consumer reliance on single-use packaging.

The four Oregon lawmakers wrote top UPS and TerraCycle officials that Portland’s proven commitment to sustainability makes it an ideal candidate for a test market as their companies move toward full implementation of the program delivering products that can be collected, cleaned, refilled and redelivered.

“The eco-conscious community that is present in Oregon makes a city like Portland an excellent pilot for Loop,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “We are eager to build domestic markets to accommodate our waste and to help support our recycling market in the face of challenges in the industry. We ask that you help us meet those challenges by considering Portland, Oregon as a pilot city for Loop.”

Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer and Bonamici also noted that in the year since China implemented a ban on recyclable waste products, Oregon recycling officials and local governments have been experimenting with new regulations and pushing education efforts.

“This is an example of the Oregon Way - in the face of tough problems, Oregonians work together to find solutions,” the lawmakers wrote.

Text of the entire letter is available here.