From an e-mail release:

Recycle those hard-to-recycle plastics on May 3rd. Master Recyclers will collect plastic material that cannot be recycled curbside, including buckets, food tubs, plastic bags, lawn furniture, nursery pots and trays.

Agri-Plas, a recycler located in Brooks, Oregon, will process the collected plastic for recycling into new products. Past Master Recyclers plastic roundup events successfully recycled and found reuse options for over 90 tons of plastic.

Collection will take place Saturday, May 3rd, 9am - 2 pm at Kaiser Permanente West Interstate, 3325 N Interstate (off Fremont and Overlook park).
Please sort and rinse plastics into the following categories ahead of time:
* Plastic bags (dry cleaning, store sacks, cereal liners, bubble wrap, Mylar, six pack rings, tortilla chip bags, freezer bags, zip lock bags, etc.)
* Plant pots and trays (please knock out dirt ahead of time)
* Please rinse and sort plastics with numbers by numbers (bags and pots go in first categories)
* Miscellaneous plastics without numbers: bottle caps, drink lids, DVD's, CDs, CD cases, straws, cereal liners, vinyl, lawn/patio furniture, toys (think slides!), pet igloos, laundry baskets, kiddy pools & more. (Bring it, we'll try to take it.)
* Plastic reuse items (good lawn chairs, tables, cat litter buckets & more)

We are sorry we CANNOT accept:

* Styrofoam blocks, peanuts, food trays, or egg cartons.
* Plastic printed "compostable" or # PLA 7.
* Plastics with a neck (these are accepted in all curbside programs.
* PVC pipe.
* Food-contaminated or dirty plastic.
* Foam or rubber.
* Small toys that have metal in them.
* Plastic with metal or electronics inside (spray bottle nozzles and hand lotion pumps have springs in them, please remove the spring or toss the pump).

Why hold a plastics round-up?

In many parts of the region, only plastics that have a neck, such as bottles and milk jugs can be recycled at home. A "recycling number" stamped on plastics doesn't guarantee they are recyclable, it only indicates the type of resin used in the product. Unstable markets and limited demand from manufacturers make it difficult to recycle more plastic from residences.

Packaging comprises an estimated 20 - 30% of waste in Oregon. Master Recyclers suggest reusing plastic items and selecting products with minimal packaging whenever possible. Buy in bulk, bring your own reusable shopping bag to the store, and don't hesitate to contact manufacturers about your packaging preferences.

Over the past twelve years, more than 830 people have participated in the Master Recycler program, to motivate people to reduce waste and increase recycling at home and work through outreach and education. Program sponsors are Metro, the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Washington and Clackamas counties, with support from Recycling Advocates and the Department of Environmental Quality.

For more information visit www.masterrecycler.org.