Baker Sanitary Recycling Collections Rise 54% After Curbside Launch

Baker City's new curbside recycling program collected 514 tons in seven months, while waste delivered to the local landfill declined.

MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): Baker Sanitary Service reported a 54% increase in recycling collections during the first seven months of Baker City's expanded curbside recycling program in Oregon.

The company collected 514 tons of recyclable materials between April and October 2026, compared with 334 tons during the corresponding period in 2025.

The increased recycling activity also contributed to an approximately 5% reduction in waste delivered to Baker Sanitary's landfill southeast of Baker City between April and September.

New Curbside Recycling Program Expands Collection Access

Baker Sanitary distributed new blue, 95-gallon recycling carts in March, with residential collections beginning in mid-April.

Recycling carts are emptied every other week, alongside the city's existing weekly garbage collection service.

The program supports Oregon's recycling requirements under legislation enacted in 2021. Baker City, which surpassed 10,000 residents in the 2020 census, previously lacked a curbside recycling program.

Accepted Materials and Recycling Operations

Residents can place eligible cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines and paperback books together in their recycling carts without sorting.

Collected materials are baled and transported to recycling facilities in Beaverton and Clackamas. Company officials reported that contamination levels have remained manageable.

Batteries, glass, plastic bags and Styrofoam should not be placed in curbside recycling carts. Baker Sanitary provides separate collection arrangements for certain materials, including glass and batteries. Plastic bags and Styrofoam are not accepted at its recycling locations.