Recology reports smooth first year in North Bend, touts recycling options and outreach

Recology King County staff told the North Bend City Council on April 1 that the company’s first 12 months under the city’s new solid‑waste contract went “as smooth as it could have gone,” citing steady customer service performance, targeted outreach and new recycling services available to North Bend residents.

Alyssa Campbell, Recology’s government and community relations manager, said the company recorded a voluntary customer satisfaction score average of 4.4 out of 5 during the trailing 12 months reported to the council. She said operational “misses” (collections not completed as scheduled) were higher at the start of the contract but improved over time; Recology told the council its monthly target is 25 misses and that April’s early transition activity showed about 25 misses while February had a single reported miss.

Why this matters: the contract introduced several service improvements for North Bend residents, including access to Recology’s Issaquah store for hard‑to‑recycle items, expanded business and multifamily outreach, storm‑event coverage for winter and windy conditions, and collection services at city‑sponsored events. Council members asked for specifics about new or expanded services and about how Recology handled the recent winter weather.

Campbell listed several newly available or emphasized services: a Recology store in Issaquah for hard‑to‑recycle items and textiles (daily limits apply), curbside pickup of clean cooking oil in capped clear containers (customers should call ahead and label the container), and a styrofoam recycling drop‑off at the Recology store (Campbell said the daily limit is roughly 32 gallons and that accepted pieces must be free of tape and food residue). She also said Recology supplies a “Recycle Right” bag and tailored door hangers when crews find contamination or need to notify multifamily properties about service changes.

Council members pressed on program details. Councilmember Heather Cohen asked whether styrofoam recycling is available; Campbell confirmed it is accepted at the Recology store subject to size and cleanliness limits. Councilmember Susan Torgerson asked about the cooking‑oil program’s container requirements; Campbell said the material must be in a secure, capped clear container and residents should put an address on the container and call customer service in advance.

Campbell credited North Bend’s communications staff and city partners for helping the transition, noting targeted door‑to‑door outreach at Mountain View Apartments and Towne Mobile Park and multiple business technical assistances during the first year. She said Recology also provided event collection and education at downtown gatherings, the Mount Si festival and other city events, and that the company will continue business recruitment for compost service in light of Washington’s organics management rules.

No formal council action was required on the presentation; council members thanked Recology for the report and asked staff to keep sharing operational metrics and outreach plans.

Ending: Recology invited council and the public to facility tours and quarterly workshops at the Issaquah Recology store, and said the company will continue door‑to‑door and business outreach across North Bend in 2025.