Deschutes County is taking its next big step toward reducing waste, awarding a three-year contract to J.R. Miller and Associates to design and plan a materials recovery facility and other recycling infrastructure aimed at hitting the county鈥檚 45% waste diversion target.
In 2019, Deschutes County developed the Solid Waste Management Plan in an effort to provide a roadmap to meet challenges relating to solid waste, recycling and composting, which includes meeting the 45% diversion goal set by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
In March 2025, Deschutes County had a 28% recovery rate, nearly 20% short of the 45% goal set by the Oregon DEQ. To achieve this goal, the solid waste plan recommended building a materials recovery facility and processing facilities for composting and construction and demolition waste.