The company that served as the producer responsibility organization (PRO) in the first year of Oregon’s revamped electronics extended producer responsibility (EPR) program submitted the sole bid to hold that job in year two.
Electronic Manufacturers Recycling Management (MRM) was the only bidder to operate the state’s E-Cycles program in 2027. MRM beat out Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations to earn the job this year.
The company’s redacted application said MRM will cover collection, transportation, recycling and oversight costs, assessing a per-pound charge to participating manufacturers. It plans to use its 2026 fee schedule next year, until the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) revises its figures mid-year; the company redacted all financial details, claiming the information as confidential and/or a trade secret.
The PRO is required under Oregon’s modernized electronics recycling program, which became law in 2023. Prior to then, a state contractor program collected and recycled electronics. MRM is a stewardship group that operated under the previous law as an alternative to the state contractor system.
MRM runs regulatory compliance electronics programs in 20 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. It was founded in 2007, supporting the recycling of nearly 2 billion pounds of electronics cumulatively. It’s operated in Oregon in some capacity since 2009.
MRM plans to process more than 80% of the material it collects in-state. It got every active collection site in the state to work with MRM on collection this year, and leaders expect the same participation should MRM retain the PRO contract in 2027.
To promote participation and ensure proper handling, MRM said it developed an operational handbook and other education materials for the public and collection organizers. The application said MRM will analyze full-year engagement analytics on its website to track awareness, and then increase that engagement rate by 5% next year.
The expanded law requires many new device types to be accepted, including VCRs, video game consoles and scanners. It also calls for more convenient access to a recycling facility — at least 95% of the state’s residents have to be within 15 miles of a collection site. MRM said it met those requirements.
State law requires the PRO process to open up every year. MRM’s 2027 plan is available to view on the DEQ’s E-Cycles website. Public comment will be accepted through Aug. 9. The DEQ must approve or reject the plan within 60 days.
