Concerns about environmental damage from the rising tide of plastic waste are rising around the world, and governments are finally beginning to take substantial mitigation actions. The state of Oregon is at the forefront of proactive materials management policy in the U.S., guided by research conducted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ’s 2050 Vision for Materials Management, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of products, paved the way for Oregon’s 2021 Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, which institutes requirements and incentives for producers to help fund waste recycling programs and make products more easily recyclable. Washington CORE recently spoke about these exciting developments with David Allaway, Senior Policy Analyst at DEQ’s Materials Management Program and a lead contributor to the research driving this policy change.