County seeks trash masters for Master Recycler Composter course
January 16, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. Jan. 16, 2011
King County encourages residents to engage in some trash talking and enroll in the Master Recycler Composter training program soon.
The course offers skills about how to reduce the amount of waste in the home and in the community. The program offers training for home composting, recycling and waste prevention, plus information about alternatives to household hazardous waste disposal and solid waste impacts on climate change.
The county Solid Waste Division sponsors the program to reduce the amount of material dumped at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill near Issaquah. Officials estimate more than half of the material considered to be “garbage” at the landfill is actually recyclable material.
Residents dump old electronics for E-Cycle Washington
January 12, 2011
NEW — 2 p.m. Jan. 12, 2011
Evergreen State residents recycled 39.5 million pounds of outdated TVs, computers and monitors last year through the E-Cycle Washington program.
The total recycled material beat the amount recycled in 2009 — 38.5 million pounds. Discarded televisions comprised 61 percent of the total.
The state passed legislation in 2006 to require manufacturers and the Department of Ecology to establish and run a statewide system to collect and recycle electronics. Manufacturers fund the program.
Before the program launched, many old electronics ended up in landfills. The result is a potential mountain of wasted resources — and toxic runoff.
Recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs for free
January 11, 2011
Most folks know not to toss compact fluorescent lightbulbs into the trashcan, but recycling the curlicue-shaped bulbs can be a problem.
Now, residents can recycle the bulbs at the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, 1510 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish. The district has set up a collection box in the lobby. The recycling effort — held in conjunction with Puget Sound Energy — aims to collect 50,000 bulbs. The campaign has netted 12,000 bulbs so far. The drive does not accept linear fluorescent bulbs. Read more
Recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs for free
January 7, 2011
NEW — 8 a.m. Jan. 7, 2011
Most folks know not to toss compact fluorescent light bulbs into the trashcan, but recycling the curlicue-shaped bulbs can be a problem.
Now, residents can recycle the bulbs at the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, 1510 228th Ave. S.E., Sammamish. The district has set up a collection box in the lobby.
The recycling effort — held in conjunction with Puget Sound Energy — aims to collect 50,000 bulbs. The campaign has netted 12,000 bulbs so far. The drive does not accept linear fluorescent bulbs.
The drive comes as compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, gain popularity due to low energy use and eco-friendliness, but the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and should not be tossed into the garbage.
Recycle appliances and electronics for free
November 30, 2010
Do you have a broken refrigerator, an old stereo or a neglected bike clogging the garage?
Bring it to a free recycling event, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Briarwood Market Place parking lot, Southeast 128th Street and 164th Avenue Southeast, Renton.
Proceeds from the recycled raw materials benefit local charities, homeless shelters and food banks. The recycling program is provided by Issaquah-based 1 Green Planet and organized by the Liberty High School PTSA.
Find a list of recyclable products at the 1 Green Planet website.
State recycling rate holds steady amid economic downturn
November 28, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Nov. 28, 2010
Evergreen State residents recycled more than residents in other states, but fell short of a state goal.
Overall, the statewide recycling rate hovered at 45 percent last year, the state Department of Ecology announced last week.
The statewide recycling goal — established in a 1989 state law — is 50 percent. The national recycling average in 2008 hit 33 percent.
The total amount of municipal waste declined by more than 700,000 tons in 2009 — or about 8 percent. The recession has affected the amount of waste produced, causing disposal and recycling to drop.
Nominations sought for eco-conscious award
November 23, 2010
The search is on for the top recyclers in the Evergreen State.
Nominate eco-conscious individuals, businesses, government agencies and community organizations for Recycler of the Year honors from the Washington State Recycling Association.
Nominate individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to expanding and strengthening recycling and waste prevention. Read more
Nominate eco-conscious people, businesses and agencies for Recycler of the Year
November 18, 2010
NEW — 8 a.m. Nov. 18, 2010
The search is on for the top recyclers in the Evergreen State.
Nominate eco-conscious individuals, businesses, government agencies and community organizations for Recycler of the Year honors from the Washington State Recycling Association.
Nominate individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to expanding and strengthening recycling and waste prevention.
The categories include individual recycler, public agency, institution, nonprofit, commercial generator, public education, event recycling, composting, innovation and the Nucor Steel Award for Primary Business.
King County honors Issaquah’s top recyclers
June 24, 2010
NEW — 6 a.m. June 24, 2010
Efforts to recycle batteries, toner cartridges, cooking oil and construction materials earned Issaquah agencies and businesses kudos from the King County Solid Waste Division.
The county has recognized the Issaquah municipal government, the Issaquah School District and three Issaquah businesses — Pogacha, Rowley Properties and Timber Ridge at Talus — as Best Workplaces for Recycling and Waste Reduction.
Trash changes could extend landfill’s life
February 23, 2010
The driver of a Waste Management garbage truck at Southeast Andrews Street and Fifth Avenue Southeast wheels a residential garbage bin to the dumping lift Feb. 18. By Greg Farrar
Trash could be hauled off less often for Issaquah residents, as city and county officials explore ways to increase recycling and cut the amount of garbage headed to the landfill south of Issaquah.
Jeff Gaisford, the recycling and environmental services manager for the King County Solid Waste Division, said the agency wants cities to switch to every-other-week garbage collection to cut costs for residents and reduce impact on Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. The landfill sprawls across 920 acres just south of city limits.
