Resources
for Portland | Vancouver Areas
Need some help?
I’ve got some places that might have the hook-up.
ecrrecycling.com | ECR (Environmentally Conscious Recycling) sorts, cleans, and processes more dry waste on-site than any other recycler in the Portland area. You can take nearly anything here - from your old microwave to yard debris to that old mattress that you can’t figure out what to do with. You can see what they do and don’t take if you scroll to the middle of the webpage I’ve linked here for you. If you have A LOT of stuff, you can even rent a dumpster from them. They’ll drop it off at your home and pick it up when you’re done! Their website is a treasure trove of info. Have fun.
libertytire.com | Liberty Tire Recycling is a great option for that stack of tires you’ve had in your garage for a while now. Time to let them go? These folks can help give them a second life. You’ll need to drop them off, but I’m sure those tires will enjoy being turned into playground surfaces, sports turf, or maybe some landscaping mulch.
paintcare.org | PaintCare connects you with local organizations that can recycle your leftover paint.
totalreclaim.com | Total Reclaim has locations in Oregon, Washington (x2), and Alaska - my three favorite states. It’s a good source for recycling batteries, electronics, computers, appliances, light bulbs, and some of the other harder-to-recycle stuff. You can drop off or schedule a pick up for a fee, which is super handy.
oregonmetro.gov | City of Portland Garbage & Recycling (Metro) are the same folks that handle the City of Portland's weekly garbage service. They have two locations where you can drop off your garbage, recycling, and hazardous waste in person (Metro Central in NW Portland and Metro South in Oregon City). They also have a handy online tool for finding a recycler for a particular item. Youc an also call their Ask an Expert phone line at 503-234-3000 and talk to a human (or submit a form inquiry) if you have something particularly tough or tricky to dispose of.
wmnorthwest.com | Waste Management Northwest handles curbside garbage service in the city of Portland. However what most people don’t know is you can have them pickup large items like old couches, mattresses, appliances, televisions, etc. that aren’t fit for donation. Contact them via their customer service webpage or call 800-808-5901 (Mon-Fri 7am - 5pm) for scheduling and information on fees.
cityofvancouver.us | City of Vancouver Solid Waste & Recycling Services will pickup your bulky garbage items not fit for donation at no cost! Old lawn mowers, desk chairs, small appliances, furniture, etc. - they will take up to 5 items per household, per year at no cost. Any items or pick ups past that initial number will be at cost. Still a pretty darn good deal!
thebagster.com | Waste Management’s Bagster is predominately meant for disposal of home construction materials (think kitchen remodel), yard waste, sod, and the like. If you enter your zip code on their main site, you’ll see a list of what’s accepted and what’s not and you’ll also be shown the pickup fee charge. You can purchase the bag itself on Amazon or at your local Home Depot or Lowes. Usually, each mixed waste load has a maximum of 3 cubic yards (3,300 lb weight limit) per bag, which is a lot. While it might cost a little bit, it’s an easy way to get rid of accepted items that you’ve been trying to figure out how to get rid of. And you can get A LOT in that green bag… I say that from personal experience.
justporchit.com | These folks make donation pickups pretty easy - you simply bag up your items (no need to separate by type). If it fits in a bag, they'll pick it up. Schedule a pickup, place the items on your porch, and they'll pick everything up for you. They items they accept are shown on their main page (linked above) and they really don't have a limit on number of bags, which is GREAT. But - items MUST be neatly tucked in a closed bag. They don't serve the Vancouver, WA areas quite yet, but they do operate all over Oregon. You can schedule a pickup online by vising the link provided.
givebackbox.com | Once you’ve handled your larger donation drop-offs and/or pickups, using Give Back Box is a very easy way to donate smaller amounts - using the online shipping boxes you receive from Amazon or any other online retailer (or any other box you have on-hand). It's an easy way to give both your boxes and your items a second life. Shipping labels are free when shipping clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. If shipping anything else, you can pay $20 to ship a box of up to 50 lbs to a charity of your choice.
oregon.dressforsuccess.org | Dress for Success Oregon is one of my favorite organizations to support here in the northwest. They help unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence by providing no-fee programs, development tools, and professional attire to thrive in work and in life. Long story short: one of their main efforts is to support women in their job searches by providing the professional clothing they need and often do not have access to. They have an incredible no-cost "store" set up that women can shop in, they offer interview training, resume help, and so many other incredible services. They have "call out days" when they accept clothing donations, and you can keep an eye out for those days here: oregon.dressforsuccess.org/get-involved/events
communitywarehouse.org | You’ve heard of a food bank? Well, the Community Warehouse in Portland Oregon has a mission that’s very similar to a food bank, except they focus on household goods and furnishings. They believe there are enough beds, blankets, pots, pans, and furnishings circulating in our community for everyone. They connect donated household items to neighbors overcoming adversity, creating stronger homes and brighter futures. You can drop off donations in Portland, Tigard, or Gresham - or schedule a pickup by visiting their online scheduling site.
nwfurniturebank.org | The NW Furniture Bank is very similar to the above Community Warehouse, but it serves the Vancouver, WA area! You can either drop off Tuesday - Saturday (9:00am - 4:00pm) or arrange for a pickup by filling out the form online.
givingcloset.org | The Giving Closet is a free community store in Vancouver, WA serving those in need - filling in the gaps that many experience each day. They offer clothing for all ages and sizes, shoes, household goods, bedding, linens, toys, household kits, and food items from the Clark County Food Bank. They accept drop-off donations only on select Fridays, so please check their website before you go.
goodwill.com | Most Goodwill locations offer convenient drive-up donation services, making it easy to drop off your items. With numerous locations available, there's likely one near you! Simply drive up, drop off your donations, and you're done. You can find the nearest location by clicking the link provided. In some areas, Goodwill also offers donation pick-up services. To check if this option is available in your neighborhood, just call your local store.
habitat.org | Habitat for Humanity ReStore has multiple northwest area locations. They are donation-driven home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home decor, appliances, building materials, and more at discounted prices. The funds generated from the ReStores support Habitat for Humanity's homebuilding and home repair programs. You can drop donations off at any location or schedule a pickup. Donation guidelines are also found online.
