Metro Central

I feel a little silly reviewing a city dump, but…
This place is just super convenient. Our dog has decided that sofas cannot live longer than a few months, so we went here yesterday with a huge truckload of ruined furniture.
a.) they take cards
b.) they are open till 5:00pm on Sundays
c.) it was only $ 30 for the huge load we brought
d.) you get to chuck things carelessly off a truck onto a giant pile, and it’s pretty fun.
e.) the people who work here are all really nice and helpful
People go to the dump out of necessity, and they will go to this place whether I leave a good review, a bad review, or no review. But I’m bored at work, so whatever.

Went to Metro today with some yard debris to dump and some plastic containers to recycle. Just before I entered the place to dump I was greeted by a total idiot. I had some potted clumps from plastic containers and he informed me that this was not yard debris it was dirt. It would have to go into garbage. I told him I would put these in my pickup and carry them out because I did not want to get an upcharge. This transfer clone, the idiot, told me just to toss the clumps by the conveyor belt. I said «so I will not be charge extra «he replied they will only charge you by weight. It was then clear to me just dump everything and go out to the exit pull my pants down and take it like a man from a woman no less. An so it goes.

What can I say, we visit this gigantic place once a year or so so dispose of our chemicals and unused paint. We run a tight ship. After getting Mom’s house ready for sale there was a bunch of chemicals which needed to be disposed of properly.
We took a nice drive to Metro and they happily relieved us of all of them for free. The workers are super professional and very nice.
One note; if you want to dispose of lumber/​construction detritus and yard debris don’t take them here, you will pay dearly for it. Instead take it to Grimm’s in the King City/​Sherwood area and it is much cheaper.

This is one of those places that makes me proud of living in Portland. This is where I take all that hazardous waste that would be unacceptably toxic to put on a landfill, like used batteries or household chemicals. They take everything directly from your trunk and safely dispose of them. They are super friendly. This place is great!

Pro tip: do not use your GPS (Google Maps, or Apple Maps, at least) to get here. They will both take you to the wrong place. Either a nonexistent address, or a private industrial site. You actually have to take St. Helen’s road to Kittredge (none of the GPSs tell you this). Just plug in the cross streets of Front & 61^st, and you’ll get there (just follow the signs after you turn onto Front).
I made the trek because I had way too much trash, and it was actually cheaper to dump it here than to pay anything for excess trash (one can + too many people + biweekly collection = nightmare). There is around a $ 28 minimum (for anything under a ton, I think), and there is a $ 3 discount (approx) if you bring in recyclables (e.g. cardboard boxes). You actually pull your car into the facility and dump the trash yourself. It is a hell of a fun experience, and I hope to do it again someday. Credit cards accepted. Bring purell.

I have Metro recycling’s phone number memorized, on speed dial on the office phone, and in my directory on my mobile. I can’t be without it.
This past summer, I caught one of my residents while moving out trying to leave her newer mattress and box springs out in our garbage/​recycling area. I was able to call Metro Recycling right there and then and find a place who would take her newer mattress and box springs, and she was able to take it to the place right then. Nice end to the day, nice way to maintain a cordial relationship with the departing resident, and nice way to share something still in good shape! Salvation Army also takes mattresses and box springs (in good shape) as well if you need pick up.
I found out that Goodwill takes old vacuum cleaners and TVs for free and recycles them. Who knew? I sure didn’t until I called Metro Recycling. Getting rid of old computer parts found in our dumpster is a breeze from the info I’ve received.
What a great resource available to us here in the Metro area. The folks who man the line are efficient, friendly, and super knowledgeable. Can’t say enough nice/​good things about them.
503−234−3000. Memorize it, use it, share it!

Call it another victory for civil rights… better late than never.
I hadn’t been back to the Metro Recycling center for a good many years in protest to their apparent disregard for equality, but I can happily report that on a recent trip to their depot I saw that they FINALLY replaced their «white» and «colored» paper recycling bins with a «combined» receptacle.
finally, both whites and non-​whites have a place to bring their paper for recycling without being subjected to the ugliness of racial intolerance… and it’s about time!

I didn’t realize how awesome this place was until I went on a Sunday and I was able to witness the sorting and picking operation. These guys literately go through all of that garbarge to recycle wood, metal, plastic, glass, etc. Awesome industrial machines, compelling process.
Also they sell recycled paint and even though it smells funny it’s RECYCLED paint!

Got lots of empty propane tanks or bottles from the barbie laying around after a productive summer of entertaining? About to toss them in the trash can? STOP! Metro will take them for FREE and recycle them. FYI: These are considered hazardous materials:
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This is only ONE of the many amazing things this company offers. These are a few of my favs:
– dyi composting & tips including worm composting.
– where to donate stuff. i highly recommend Community Warehouse. Much better than goodwill b/​c they truly GIVE to those who need and don’t charge like Goodwill does.
– sustainable gardening tips
– carpool match up:
– make your own green cleaners for your home (how cool and easy!):
– bike & walking maps of the city
– YO TEACHERS! classroom presentations for school kids.
– where to dispose of everything and anything properly
Check out the website. It’s jammed packed with all sorts of nifty info bites. I dropped off our used gas propane container today. It took about 1 minute because it’s a drive-​thru. The folks working there are super friendly and appreciated that I brought in my lone little empty tank. TWO THUMBS UP FOR THIS COMPANY! You are making a positive impact on Portland.