Republic Services told the Albany City Council on Nov. 5 that Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act is changing what residents may put into the curbside recycling cart and said a company rate-index calculation would result in a 2.4% increase in trash rates for 2026.

Julie Jackson, a Republic Services representative, said Phase 1 of the RMA took effect July 1 and expanded the list of materials acceptable in the curbside cart. Phase 2, she said, is expected in the Willamette Valley in the first quarter of 2027 and will convert local depots into producer organization depots that accept hard-to-recycle items such as plastic film, expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam), and certain lids and small plastic components. Jackson also said depots may accept appliances in the future.

The company described the refuse-rate index it uses to request annual adjustments: 65% of the index is tied to the consumer price index, 10% to fuel costs and 25% to disposal costs. For 2026, Jackson said, the index produces a 2.4% adjustment: 1.4 percentage points from CPI, zero for fuel (flat year over year) and 1 point from higher disposal costs at Coffin Butte Landfill. Under the proposal, a 20-gallon cart would rise about $0.60 per month; larger carts would see proportionally higher monthly increases. A low-income discount was discussed in council questions.

Jackson walked through specific changes that residents will notice: larger plastic items (up to a five-gallon bucket) may be accepted, caps and lids may remain on bottles and jars, and up to 10 pounds of scrap metal (no larger than about 18 inches) can be placed in the cart. She advised that items in plastic bags, batteries, food waste, and "tanglers" such as cords and coat hangers remain prohibited because they create contamination and safety hazards at mechanized sorting facilities.

In response to council questions, Jackson said Republic Services is moving toward use of AI-enabled truck cameras to detect contamination at pickup; the company would send warnings before any fines are imposed, consistent with RMA requirements. Jackson urged that long-term cost savings rely on waste reduction and noted recent community contributions exceeding $60,000 in cash and in-kind support to Albany and Linn County.

Councilors asked whether the RMA will increase recycling participation. Jackson said she expects participation to grow over time as the statewide standardization of accepted materials reduces confusion. She also described how Republic Services now reports downstream sorting locations under RMA rules to track end markets and said the company is working to keep recovered materials processing domestic rather than exporting to overseas markets.

The council did not take a vote on refuse rates during the presentation; Jackson provided the packet pages referenced and invited follow-up questions from staff.

"Phase 2 will switch our depots over to producer organization depots," Jackson said, "and those depots will take additional materials that are hard to recycle items like plastic films and Styrofoam."