RELEASE: In new year, new laws will reduce waste and toxics in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. – On January 1st, 2025, several policies go into effect in Oregon that will protect public health, reduce waste, improve recycling and keep electronic devices in use for longer. These new laws build on Oregon’s legacy of finding innovative ways to reduce waste and empower Oregonians to be good stewards of the environment.  

“The new year brings new protections for the health, safety and well being for Oregonians and our communities,” said Charlie Fisher, state director with OSPIRG. “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Janeen Sollman, many other legislators and Governor Kotek, we’ve got a lot to celebrate in 2025.”

“In 2025, Oregon will be taking major steps to embrace the ‘4 Rs’: reducing wasteful and toxic products, repairing things to keep them in use for longer, reusing what we can and recycling the rest,” said state Sen. Janeen Sollman (SD-15). “I’m so proud to have worked with my colleagues to get these laws passed, which will protect the environment and our communities, and can save consumers and businesses money along the way.”

The new laws going into effect on January 1, 2025:

• The Right to Repair for personal electronics and household appliances. This law requires manufacturers to provide Oregonians and small businesses access to the parts, tools and service information needed to repair personal electronics and household appliances. This would help keep these devices in use for longer, conserving precious natural resources and preventing waste.
• Restriction on the sale, use or distribution of polystyrene foam foodware, packing peanuts and single-use coolers statewide. Polystyrene foam is a form of plastic made from fossil fuels and commonly used for food containers and packaging. It’s usually thrown away after a single use. It breaks up easily into smaller pieces that are hard to clean up, disperse rapidly, and can persist in the environment for centuries.
• Restriction on the sale, use or distribution of food packaging containing PFAS. PFAS are a class of highly fluorinated toxic chemicals used in many food containers and packaging due to their oil-, stain- and water-repellent properties. PFAS accumulate in the environment and human bodies and are linked to cancer, high cholesterol, reproductive and thyroid problems and immune suppression. 
• The elimination of toxic fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent lights contain mercury, which is a potent and persistent neurotoxin, by design. Non-toxic, highly efficient alternatives are broadly available. The new law would prohibit the sale or distribution of new pin-base type compact or linear style fluorescent lamps. Screw and bayonet-base type compact fluorescent lamps were prohibited beginning in 2024. This will eliminate a toxin from the waste stream, reduce energy waste and save consumers money. 

Another new law going into effect later in the year, on July 1, 2025, is the Recycling Modernization Act. This will improve recycling services and expand them to even more Oregonians, ensure that materials are recycled in a responsible manner, and make producers bear some of the costs of managing the waste created by their products.

“Oregon has a proud history of passing forward thinking policies that help Oregonians steward and respect the resources that go into making the products we use everyday,” said Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director of Environment Oregon. “Many of the new laws going into effect in 2025 will make Oregon a national leader in reducing waste and toxic chemicals in consumer products, helping us build a cleaner, greener future.”