December 5, 2023

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

49º | Showers | 84% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:50 a.m. | Sunset 4:40 p.m.

🗑️ Out with the old

old paint cans stacked on top of each other with paint dripping down the sides

You can take your old cans of liquid latex paint to a PaintCare drop-off site. | Photo by Miller Paint

As we rush toward the end of 2023, you may find yourself eager to cut ties with the past 12 months — as well as some things lying around your home. While many unwanted household items are easy to donate, recycle, or just throw away, other things require special attention to be properly disposed of. Here’s a quick guide to getting rid of hazardous waste.

What is “hazardous waste”?

The term applies to a slew of items that should not be put in trash cans or flushed down the toilet. These products are often marked with words like “caution,” “toxic,” “flammable,” or “warning.” Some examples of hazardous waste items are:

Paints, thinners, and solvents
Pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
Used motor oil and antifreeze
Household cleaners
Batteries

How to safely get rid of it

Before you load up the car and head to one of Metro’s two designated recycling centers, check online to see if there’s an easier option for items like…

Medications
Oregon offers drop-off sites for nearly any dosage form, including pills, liquids, and sprays.

Medical sharps
Syringes, lancets, auto-injectors, needles, and needle connectors can be taken to collection boxes across Multnomah County.

Electronics
Rechargeable batteries can be taken to a free Call2Recycle drop-off site at a retail store near you, or you can mail them. Old electronic appliances like TVs and computers can be dropped off (or picked up) with Oregon Ecycles.

Paint
Drop off leftover paint at one of 185 year-round PaintCare sites across Oregon, including over 40 in the Portland metro area. Donated cans are recycled into new paint at MetroPaint’s facility on Swan Island.

If you have hazardous waste that can’t be recycled using one of the options above, it may need to be taken to a Metro recycling center. Learn how to safely prepare products and where to take them.

Still have questions?

Events

Tuesday, Dec. 5

Christmas Ships Parade | Tuesday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Dec. 17 | Various locations on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, Portland | Free | Brightly lit, colorful flotillas will set sail for the 69th year, drawing thousands of onlookers to the river banks.

Wednesday, Dec. 6

Portland Indigenous Marketplace | Wednesday, Dec. 6-Friday, Dec. 8 | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Center for Native Arts and Cultures, 800 SE 10th Ave., Portland | Free | Shop for handmade, original pieces from Native and Black artists and entrepreneurs.
Swing & Sway: Christmas Swing Dance | Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 6-9 p.m. | The Valiant Ballroom, 111 W. Ninth St., Portland | $8 | Don your festive attire and dip your toes into swing dancing with a beginner-friendly lesson at 6 p.m., followed by a DJ’d dance starting an hour later.

Thursday, Dec. 7

Photography Basics: An Introduction with Faraaz Abdool | Thursday, Dec. 7 | 6-7 p.m. | Online | $20-$30 | Let your photography aspirations take flight by joining this four-part series that will reveal how to capture eye-catching images of birds with virtually any camera — even a smartphone.
Ali Wong | Thursday, Dec. 7 | 8 p.m. | ilani Cowlitz Ballroom, 1 Cowlitz Way, Ridgefield | $99-$129 | The stand-up comedian, writer, and “Always Be My Maybe” actor brings her authentic jokes on everything from dating advice to family drama to the PNW.
Benson Hotel Annual Gingerbread Display | Thursday, Dec. 7-Saturday, Dec. 30 | Open 24 hours a day | The Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland | Free | Get a look at this year’s masterpiece made with 150 pounds of gingerbread, heaps of marzipan and chocolate, and buckets of icing.

Friday, Dec. 8

“Make the Yuletide Gay” | Friday, Dec. 8-Sunday, Dec. 10 | Times vary | Newmark Theatre at Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $20-$56 | The Portland Gay Men’s Chorus will once again put on “the gayest holiday concert of all time” inspired by classic variety and sketch shows.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

▼SPONSORED▼

Shop

ReStore announces new store hours at 3 locations

2 women stand in a store surrounded by furniture

Shop hand-selected items including mid-century furniture, vintage pieces, lighting, and more. | Photo by Jason Quigley

The Habitat for Humanity Portland Region ReStores are giving Portlanders more opportunities to shop.

ReStores are now open for shopping seven days a week with expanded store hours (below) at the Beaverton, Gresham, and Portland locations:

Tuesdays, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wednesday to Monday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

The home improvement stores sell new and gently used furniture, home décor, appliances, building materials, and more at discounted prices. Every purchase helps fund local Habitat homebuilding programs — which sounds like a great deal to us.

Pro tip: If you need to clear out any clutter before your company arrives for the holidays, you can drop off donations at all three locations (see more about donation drop-off times).

Start shopping, Portland

News Notes

State

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is set to receive $19 million in state funding during next year’s legislative session. The money will be used for winter road maintenance, including buying de-icer and new snow plow trucks, removing overtime restrictions for ODOT employees, and repairing potholes in the spring. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Development

Construction is underway on a 111,000-sqft shopping center in Hillsboro. Reed’s Crossing Town Center at the intersection of Cornelius Pass Road and Southeast Blanton Street will feature tenants like Shake Shack, Market of Choice, and Jamba Juice. Shops will open for business starting next fall. (Portland Business Journal)

Biz

A California-based company that contracts with the US Postal Service will close its Northeast Portland facility, laying off 62 employees at the end of January. The business, Matheson Flight Extenders, provides trucking and mail-handling services. It filed for bankruptcy last year. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Film

A new documentary from Portland-based filmmaker Irene Taylor premieres on HBO a week from today. “Trees and Other Entanglements” explores human relationships with trees and deeply rooted connections with the natural world. See a screening followed by a Q+A with Taylor on Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Tomorrow Theater. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Seasonal

It’s almost time for lights, camera, action on Portland’s “Christmas Street.” From Friday, Dec. 15 through the end of the year, Peacock Lane will light up the Sunnyside neighborhood with residential light displays even Clark Griswold would envy. Visitors can enjoy free hot cocoa and car-free experiences on certain nights. (KOIN)

Ranked

One way to spell “fun” is P-O-R-T-L-A-N-D. Rose City ranked No. 13 in WalletHub’s “Most Fun Cities in America” study, scoring high for entertainment, recreation, and nightlife options. It’s hard to top party meccas like No. 1 Las Vegas, but we’re definitely going to brag about beating No. 22 Seattle. (WalletHub)

Shop

Have an active loved one on your shopping list? Upway delivers rigorously inspected, certified, and 99% pre-assembled e-bikes from top brands (think: Specialized, Aventon, and Super73) directly to your doorstep — with free express shipping when you use code TREE.*

Finance

With one of the “best reward cards of 2023,” enjoy exceptional rewards on purchases and a $300 welcome bonus. And start racking up those rewards.*

The Buy

The ultimate gift for the year of Barbie: the Barbie Dreamhouse 2023. Can we get one of those spiral pool slides for our house?

Quiz

📝 Jog your memory

November was a busy month, Portland, so we don’t blame you if you missed a few headlines.

We deliver roughly seven news notes each day — that’s ~150 pieces of news every month — so you can keep track of all the local goings-on, like:

Delays to downtown construction projects
Electric bill rate hikes
Big concerts to plan for at Providence Park

How closely have you been paying attention? Click the button below to take our November news quiz and find out.

Take the quiz

Share PDXtoday

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

Facebook

Twitter

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_20}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.

Claim your rewards

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

From the editor

If you have a hankering for a long drive to clear your mind, Oregon’s Route 395 might be just the ticket. The highway, which was recently named Oregon’s loneliest road by Atlas Obscura, stretches 385 miles from New Pine Creek to the Columbia River, offering desolate but stunning views of Lake Abert.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY