Community Environmental Services (CES), a subunit of the Center for Urban Studies, began as the Recycling Education Projects (REP) in 1989 when Jerry Blake taught a course at Portland State University. Students in the class conducted a survey of downtown apartment buildings to see how many were recycling. As anticipated, not many were. Students developed a plan to offer recycling education and equipment to these buildings. Jerry Blake went to the City of Portland with this plan and the City agreed to fund the pilot project. Columbia Villa apartment complex, an over 500 unit multifamily community, was chosen as the initial site. Installing recycling equipment and providing education to the residents proved to be very successful. As a result, the City decided to expand the project to the entire city. All apartment complexes, mobile home parks, and condominiums were given the opportunity to have on-site recycling provided by the City, through PSU.

Each subsequent year, the City contracted with PSU to assist in setting up recycling for multifamily residences. Since over 90% of all Portland multifamily units had access to onsite recycling, this program was successfully concluded in June 1997. Portland was the first U.S. city to target multifamily residences for recycling, which was once thought of as "too hard of a task to accomplish." Portland, with its success, became a model for other cities throughout the U.S.

The REP has expanded its role beyond the City of Portland to provide recycling education assistance to other local communities, governmental agencies, and private organizations on a contractual basis. In addition, other solid waste related projects have spun out of this success, including the Single-Family Weight Study and the Commercial Generator Survey.

In the last 8 years, over 60 students have been employed at the REP. Upon graduation many of these students have found employment in the field of resource management in both the public and private sector.

In 1997, due to the changing nature of the services we provide, we elected to change our name to Community Environmental Services to more accurately describe our Mission.

Click here to link to CES' home page.