Issaquah plans another debris drop-off event at Tibbetts Valley Park
February 1, 2012
NEW — 2 p.m. Feb. 1, 2012
Issaquah residents and business owners can drop off tree branches and other woody debris from recent storms at Tibbetts Valley Park on Saturday and Sunday, officials announced Wednesday.
The drop-off site is scheduled to open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park, 965 12th Ave. N.W. Only storm-related woody debris is accepted. Though representatives plan to monitor drop-offs, customers must unload material themselves.
The city held a similar event Jan. 28-29, and collected about 500 cubic yards of debris from 610 people.
King County is also offering a debris drop-off event for residents.
Dump winter storm debris at county sites or curbside
January 31, 2012
Debris continues to linger outside King County homes, long after the snow and ice melted.
The recent snowstorm and ice storm left tree branches and limbs, plus other debris, on roads and lawns in Issaquah and elsewhere. King County Executive Dow Constantine cleared the way for disposal events in the days after the storms.
“We have made it easy for residents to dispose of debris so they can quickly put the storms of last week behind them and move on with life,” he said in a statement released Jan. 26.
Nominate ‘green’ activities for King County honor
January 31, 2012
Nominate eco-conscious students, teachers, staffers, volunteers and programs — or even entire schools — for the King County Earth Heroes at Schools awards program.
The award aims to honor people and entities for contributions to environmental protection and student environmental education. Honorees in past years included programs related to recycling, restoring habitat, composting lunchroom waste and growing pesticide-free gardens.
The program encourages self-nominations, but colleagues, classmates and the general public can also nominate Earth Heroes. Find nomination forms and the list of 2011 winners at the Solid Waste Division website, http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp. Or call 206-296-4477 to learn more.
Nominations must be submitted by Feb. 24. The county plans to announce honorees in April.
Tree cleanup is latest headache for storm-weary residents
January 24, 2012
Fallen tree branches, scattered across the landscape like so many broken Lincoln Logs, continue to bedevil road crews and residents days after a major snowstorm and crippling ice storm rolled across Western Washington.
The task to clean up downed trees posed a challenge as the region faced a long power outage and difficult road conditions.
“From a tree damage standpoint, this has been very high,” city Arborist Alan Haywood said Jan. 23. “It’s not as catastrophic as the big windstorms we’ve had, because we did not have many real large trees come down and come down on houses and do that kind of damage.”
Tree cleanup is latest headache for storm-weary residents
January 23, 2012
NEW — 8:15 p.m. Jan. 23, 2012
Fallen tree branches, scattered across the landscape like so many broken Lincoln Logs, continue to bedevil road crews and residents days after a major snowstorm and crippling ice storm rolled across Western Washington.
The task to clean up downed trees posed a challenge as the region faced a long power outage and difficult road conditions.
“From a tree damage standpoint, this has been very high,” city Arborist Alan Haywood said Jan. 23. “It’s not as catastrophic as the big windstorms we’ve had, because we did not have many real large trees come down and come down on houses and do that kind of damage.”
Downed trees on roadways prompted closures on city, county and state roads in Issaquah and nearby areas. Some homeowners reported damage from falling branches.
City, King County offer options for recycling Christmas trees
December 26, 2011
NEW — 10 a.m. Dec. 26, 2011
Christmas is history, and Issaquah residents ready to pitch Christmas trees have a few options.
Customers tired of evergreens dropping brown needles can set out trees for yard waste collection on regular collection days. The trees must be cut to 4 feet or less. Haulers do not collect trees decked in flocking or decorations.
For residents interested in recycling, or tree-cycling, the King County Solid Waste Division offers a list of recycling locations throughout King County.
Or drop off trees at Cedar Grove Composting near Issaquah and other recycling sites.
Or, Issaquah Highlands and Sammamish residents can wait until Jan. 7, as a local Boy Scout troop collects Christmas trees for a fundraiser.
Decluttering offers chance to reuse, recycle
December 13, 2011
Habitat for Humanity Store volunteer Cindy Clark (left) and merchandising supervisor Molly Jacobson work in the Bellevue showroom, moving and assembling previously owned furniture donated to sell. By Greg Farrar
The items relegated to closets, crawlspaces, garages and junk drawers need not be banished to the landfill during a home decluttering effort.
Local recycling and reuse experts said the trick is to find fresh uses for old and unnecessary items, either through donations or repairs. Items in good condition make ideal candidates for donations to thrift stores. King County and local businesses offer recycling services for many household goods and items in not-so-good shape.
King County EcoConsumer Tom Watson said options abound for unloading the items cluttering the nooks and crannies in a home.
“Always consider donation, because reuse is better than recycling,” Watson said. “Someone else can use it — family, friends,” online classified services and thrift stores.
Watson adds another R to the time-tested mantra to reduce, reuse and recycle — repair. Often, furniture and other household items in otherwise good condition can be repaired for less expense and hassle than replacement. Old furniture, for instance, is a candidate for reupholstering.
Arie Mahler, donations manager for Seattle Goodwill, said sending items to a thrift store is a solid choice to reduce clutter — and aid a local nonprofit organization in the process, too.
“We’re pretty forgiving when it comes to donations,” he said.
King County offers hazardous waste guide to businesses
October 25, 2011
Entrepreneurs in need of some help manage to hazardous waste can turn to the Hazardous Waste Directory.
The directory is produced and distributed by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County. Call the Business Waste Line at 206-263-8899 to order a copy, or read the directory at www.lhwmp.org/home/YellowBook/index.aspx.
Business owners rely on the directory to determine how to manage hazardous waste. The directory also describes how to receive help, outlines regulations, explains how to choose a disposal or recycling vendor, and more. The directory lists wastes and includes information about handling, recycling, regulations and chemical hazards.
The program is a partnership of local governments, including King County and suburban cities, to manage hazardous wastes and protect health and the environment.
City could choose CleanScapes for garbage contract, dump Waste Management
October 18, 2011
Officials seek hauler to serve most Issaquah neighborhoods
CleanScapes nudged out larger competitors and emerged as the No. 1 contender to haul Issaquah garbage due, in part, to offering curbside pickup for difficult-to-recycle items, such as batteries and light bulbs.
The city is seeking a garbage hauler to serve most Issaquah neighborhoods. Waste Management is the predominant hauler in the city, but the current contract between Issaquah and the Houston-based company expires in June.
Seattle-based CleanScapes came out as the top candidate after city officials evaluated offers from both companies and another collector, Allied Waste — a local name for national company Republic Services.
City officials said a $3.8-million-per-year CleanScapes contract could mean lower rates for Issaquah customers, plus increased customer service and recycling options. The contract requires City Council approval.
If the CleanScapes contract is approved, a residential customer putting a 32-gallon cart out for weekly curbside pickup could see rates decrease from $13.43 to $12.74 — a 5.1 percent drop.
King County to answer landfill questions at Issaquah meeting
October 18, 2011
Residents from areas near the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill can offer feedback and receive updates at a public meeting soon.
The agency responsible for the landfill, the King County Solid Waste Division, is hosting a community meeting from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 25 at the King County Library Service Center, 960 Newport Way N.W.
Meeting attendees can learn about landfill operations, plus construction and environmental projects at the 920-acre facility. Officials also plan to discuss the Bio Energy Washington landfill-gas-to-energy facility at the landfill site.
The facility prompted noise complaints from nearby residents last year.
