King County Solid Waste Division News (March 2017)

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2016 recycling goal exceeded

Thanks to an expansion of recycling services and an increase in customers with sorted recyclable and compostable materials, recycling volumes at King County Solid Waste Division recycling and transfer facilities and drop boxes jumped by 41 percent in 2016 compared to 2015.

The division handled 25,560 tons of separated recyclable and compostable materials in 2016, exceeding its goal of 24,000 tons.

“Employees and customers working together have made great progress toward our ultimate goal of zero waste of resources,” said Pat McLaughlin, director of the King County Solid Waste Division. “The gains we made in 2016 kept valuable resources out of the landfill and put them back into the economy. By doing this, we cut greenhouse gas emissions equal to removing 7,000 vehicles from our roadways."

Yard waste – including branches, grass clippings, leaves, weeds and holiday trees – accounted for half of the total tons diverted from the landfill at King County recycling and transfer facilities in 2016.

Scrap metal comprised 14 percent of the diverted tonnage, followed by clean wood (lumber, pallets and crates) at 12 percent of the total. Cardboard made up 10 percent, and an additional 12 percent of diverted recyclable materials included paper, glass bottles and jars, metal cans, and plastic containers that can be commingled in designated recycling bins at division facilities. 


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Wastemobile season begins 

The Wastemobile, a traveling household hazardous waste collection service in King County, resumes its 2017 season with a collection event in Redmond, March 31-April 2. 

The Wastemobile will be in the parking lot of the Home Depot, located at 17777 NE 76th St, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Residents can drop off household hazardous waste items including pesticides, oil-based paints, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, lamps, etc.), fluorescent bulbs/tubes and other items without a charge. The service is pre-paid through garbage and sewer utility fees.

Following its stop in Redmond, the Wastemobile will travel to Vashon Island for a household hazardous waste collection event at Tjomsland Gravel Pit, 17001 107th Ave, SW, Vashon. 

For the full Wastemobile schedule, visit http://www.hazwastehelp.org/HHW/wastemobile.aspx


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Siting decision made for new South County facility 

King County will build a new recycling and transfer station for south King County residents and customers on land adjacent the existing facility in Algona, which has been in operation for more than 50 years and is past its engineered lifespan.

The new recycling and transfer station will be located at 35101 W. Valley Highway S. in Algona. With the siting decision made, King County will now analyze options for design and construction of the facility, which is expected to begin operations in 2022 and cost an estimated $100 million to design and build.

“Constructing a replacement facility for the aging Algona Transfer Station enables the County to continue making critical updates to its transfer system, while enhancing services to customers in south King County,” said Pat McLaughlin, King County Solid Waste Division Director. 

Features of the new facility will include:

• Adequate room for recycling services;
• An enclosed building to control odor, noise, and dust;
• Adequate space for vehicles on the site; 
• Trash compactors to accurately and efficiently load collected garbage; and
• Landscaping and design features that help the facility be more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. 

The decision to build the new facility in Algona comes after SWD conducted an extensive siting process that included an analysis of numerous potential sites in communities throughout south King County.

The division also completed an Environmental Impact Statement that evaluated potential impacts that siting, constructing, and operating a new recycling and transfer station would have on both the built and natural environments.

King County worked closely with city partners and stakeholders and conducted a public involvement process, including public meetings and open houses.

Locating the new facility in Algona was recommended because it will:

• Minimize impacts to the routes of commercial waste haulers;
• Minimize further delays in implementation of the project; and
• Have a terrain suitable for accommodating the multi-level transfer building and take advantage of materials left behind by a former sand and gravel mine.


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Threadcycle returns for third year

The 2017 Threadcycle campaign is underway, running March through May. Threadcycle educates residents in Seattle and King County that they can give all their unwanted clothes, shoes, and linens for reuse or recycling.

Damaged clothes aren’t garbage anymore – every day, recyclable and reusable clothes, shoes, and linens end up in the garbage due to the misconception that thrift stores and other collectors will only accept “gently used,” resalable items. In fact, nearly every large collector in our area accepts clothes, shoes and linens in ANY condition, as long as they’re not wet, mildewed, or contaminated with hazardous materials. Some of these items can be resold, and others are recycled into new products.

If interested, see the Threadcycle – Where to give webpage for a list of collector partners that want to receive all clothes, shoes and linens. 


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Public comment period open for Waste Acceptance Rule changes, closes April 17

On March 3, the Solid Waste Division began a 45-day public comment period regarding changes to the Waste Acceptance Rule. 

This rule specifies what is accepted, what isn’t accepted, and what is accepted with conditions at division transfer stations, drop boxes, and the landfill. The public comment period will close at 4:30 p.m. on April 17.

The Waste Acceptance Rule was last updated in 2005. The key driver behind these changes is to require recycling of materials at stations where the division offers recycling services in support of the division’s goal to achieve a 70 percent recycling rate.

Changes include restricting the disposal of clean wood, corrugated cardboard, scrap metal, and yard waste at division facilities where recycling of these materials is available by 2018; updating construction and demolition waste requirements to match King County Ordinances; updating policies for medical and pharmaceutical waste disposal; possible changes to mattress and tire acceptance in 2020; clarifying the division’s existing acceptance policies for certain materials; and removing items that are no longer accepted, among other changes.  

The full rule, as well as the proposed changes and how to comment, can be found by visiting http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/rule-changes.asp.


Upcoming Meetings

For information about upcoming meetings, follow these links:

Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee (MSWMAC): http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/about/mswmac.asp

Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC): http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/about/swac.asp

Cedar Hills Regional Landfill Community Meeting: http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/cedar-hills-meetings.asp.


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