House Bill 3220 Met with Overwhelming Support
Oregon recently unveiled a groundbreaking bill that was unanimously supported by the states House of Representatives. This legislation will drastically alter the existing laws regarding electronics collection and processing in the region.
On March 22, a House vote saw 56 members in favor of passing House Bill 3220, with 4 excused from voting. This bill is now before a Senate committee for review and potential approval.
Oregon E-Cycles is a fourteen-year-old program with a focus on electronic waste. It covers items such as computers, TVs, monitors, printers, keyboards, and mice. House Bill 3220 makes several vital changes to the existing program.
More Electronics Included
Under the new legislation, a broad range of electronic devices are now included in the program. The bill now covers fax machines, VCRs, portable digital music players, DVD players and recorders, video game consoles, digital converter boxes, cable and satellite receivers, scanners, small-scale servers, routers, and modems.
Despite there already being a producer responsibility organization (PRO) that covers larger electronics, Oregon has additionally implemented a state contractor program to fulfil the collection and recycling duties on behalf of numerous OEMs. The bill seeks to terminate the state contractor program but would still allow for the existence of multiple PROs.
Added Collection Sites
HB 3220 has altered the requirements for collection site locations to provide greater convenience to residents. The law previously mandated one site within each county, and cities with 10,000 or more citizens must also have its own collection site.
As of now, the regulations require 95% of inhabitants be located no farther than 15 miles from a collection site. Additionally mandating that each city must provide a certain number of sites relative to its population.
Under this bill, PROs must enter into agreements with any approved transfer station, landfill, or materials recovery facility that desires to function as an Oregon E-Cycles collection point.
According to the population criteria laid out in the bill, Portland, Oregon’s largest city with close to 648,000 inhabitants, must possess a minimum of 10 disposal sites plus one more for every additional 50,000 citizens above 200,000. This amounts to a minimum of 18 collection points in total.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) states that there are 16 sites within the area of Portland. As of January 1st, 2026, several alterations and amendments to this bill will come into effect.
PSI Seeks Public Feedback
To gain feedback on concepts for the bill before its February introduction, the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) was hired by the DEQ in Oregon to host a series of five public workshops and several small group meetings.
These events served as a platform for further development, presentation, and collection of feedback on ideas outlined in the bill.
At a November workshop hosted by the DEQ, E-Scrap News was present to follow along with the introduction of concepts that eventually made up a bill. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Pam Marsh of southern Oregon’s Democratic party, had been in the works and discussed among stakeholders for some time prior to its eventual release.
Right-To-Repair Bill
In other recent events, Oregon legislators have taken a step forward with the state’s right-to-repair bill, which would ensure that all repair shops and citizens are given the same access to resources as those officially provided to manufacturers. These encompass specific tools, parts, and information necessary for repairs.
After being discussed at two public hearings, and three work sessions in the Oregon State Legislature’s Energy and Environment Committee, SB542 has been recommended for passage. On April 4th, the committee voted 3-2 in support of the bill. The Association of Oregon Recyclers is also a supporter of the legislation.
The state of Oregon continues to take progressive measures in order to protect the environment. With Oregon’s strong leadership, other states may follow suit.
